Farmers Feeding America Act of 2025
Farmers Feeding America Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Farmers Feeding America Act of 2025 Summary **What It Does** This bill would reauthorize and expand the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a federal program that provides free food to low-income Americans. The bill increases funding so the U.S. Department of Agriculture can purchase more food commodities—including fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, and grains—to distribute to people in need through state agencies. **Who It Affects** The bill primarily benefits low-income individuals and families receiving emergency food assistance across the country. It has a special focus on residents of geographically isolated areas including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and several U.S.
territories (Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam), which face higher costs and delivery challenges in receiving food aid. **Key Provisions** In addition to increased funding, the bill directs the USDA to work with isolated states and territories to develop alternative delivery methods for getting food to remote communities more efficiently. The bill was introduced by Representative Andrea Salinas (D-OR) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full House.
CRS Official Summary
Farmers Feeding America Act of 2025This bill reauthorizes The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), increases funding for the program, and provides additional delivery options for geographically isolated states (i.e., Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam).TEFAP is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of people with low income by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. Through TEFAP, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases a variety of commodities and makes those food products (e.g., canned, frozen, dried, and fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat, dairy, and whole-grain and enriched grain products) available to state distributing agencies.The bill increases funding for purchasing commodities under the program.Further, the bill directs USDA to coordinate with geographically isolated states to (1) establish alternative delivery options for allocated commodities, and (2) allow for the states to order commodities through the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. USDA may also provide geographically isolated states the ability to directly purchase domestically grown food in lieu of receiving a portion of the commodities. Under this option, USDA may distribute as cash to the state up to 20% of the cash value of the commodities that are allocated to the state under TEFAP. Further, USDA may consider additional factors beyond lowest price in determining winning bids for contracts for fresh produce packages (including product variety and transportation distance).
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.