HR4314-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Farmers Feeding America Act.

2. Purpose This purpose of this Act is to support domestic agriculture, strengthen American food production, and ensure that supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits are used to purchase foods that are grown, processed, and manufactured in the United States.

3. Definitions In this Act: The term American food product means any food that is— grown, harvested, or produced within the United States; and processed or manufactured in the United States with at least 51 percent of such food ingredients sourced domestically. The term retailer Compliance means to the requirement that SNAP-authorized retailers make a good faith effort to prioritize the availability of American food products for purchase with supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits issued under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). The term SNAP means supplemental nutrition assistance program established under of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).

4. Requirement for snap purchases Any food purchased with supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits issued under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) shall be an American food product unless— the specified food item is not commercially available in sufficient quantities or reasonable quality within the United States; or the Secretary of Agriculture grants an exemption based on an undue burden on households participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, including cost or regional availability of food. The Secretary of Agriculture shall maintain a list of exempted foods and update it regularly based on domestic production trends and market conditions.

5. Retailer obligations SNAP-authorized retailers shall— make reasonable efforts to stock American food products in relevant food categories; and report on retailer compliance efforts upon request by the Department of Agriculture. Noncompliance with this Act by retailers may result in warnings, required corrective action, or, in repeated or egregious cases, suspension of SNAP authorization.

6. Enforcement and implementation The Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with relevant Federal and State agencies, shall establish regulations and guidance to ensure retailer compliance with this Act. A public awareness campaign shall be conducted to educate SNAP recipients and retailers on the benefits and requirements of purchasing American food products. An annual review shall be conducted to assess the economic impact and effectiveness of this Act, with recommendations for potential adjustments.

7. Effective date This Act shall take effect 1 year after enactment to allow for retailer adaptation and public education.