Food Deserts Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a $150 million federal grant program to help states set up loan funds for grocery stores. These funds would provide low-interest or interest-free loans to help stores open or stay open in areas that currently lack access to healthy food.
• To get a loan, a store must focus on selling fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods at affordable prices. The store must also provide at least 20 percent of the project's cost from its own money.
• States will give priority to stores that hire local workers, offer nutrition classes, or buy food from local urban farms. This is meant to boost the local economy while improving public health.
• The money cannot be used to build brand-new buildings. Instead, it is meant to help stores move into existing spaces or keep current stores running in neighborhoods that might otherwise lose their only source of fresh food.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.