HR3784-119

What This Bill Does

The Farmers Feeding America Act expands The Emergency Food Assistance Program. It amends the Food and Nutrition Act to continue commodity availability through fiscal year 2030 and sets $500 million for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. It amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act to raise storage and distribution funding from $100 million to $200 million, extend infrastructure grants through 2030, and address logistics for geographically isolated states. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam can request USDA coordination on alternative delivery options so allocated commodities actually reach them, order commodities through the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and receive the cash value of up to 20 percent of allocated commodities to procure domestically grown food instead. USDA may also consider product variety and transportation distance, not just lowest price, when buying fresh produce packages, while still trying to maximize nutritious food through the program.

Who Benefits and How

Food banks benefit from extended TEFAP commodity funding and doubled storage and distribution support. Low-income households benefit if TEFAP channels more nutritious food to emergency feeding organizations. Geographically isolated States benefit from alternative delivery options, DoD Fresh ordering, and limited cash-value procurement flexibility. Domestic farmers benefit from continued USDA commodity purchases and new procurement flexibility for domestically grown food.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA Food and Nutrition Service staff must administer higher TEFAP funding, infrastructure grants, fresh produce procurement factors, and isolated-state logistics. State distributing agencies must manage additional storage, distribution, infrastructure, and procurement flexibility. Federal taxpayers fund $500 million per year in commodities and the increased storage and distribution authorization. Lowest-price produce bidders may face competition from vendors offering greater variety or shorter transportation distance.

Key Provisions

• Extends TEFAP commodity availability through fiscal year 2030.
• Funds TEFAP commodities at $500 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
• Raises emergency food storage and distribution funding from $100 million to $200 million.
• Extends TEFAP infrastructure grants through 2030.
• Provides alternative delivery, DoD Fresh ordering, and 20-percent cash-value procurement options for geographically isolated States.
• Allows USDA to consider produce variety and transportation distance in fresh produce package contracts.