Farm Fresh Food for Families Act of 2023

1/24/2024, 4:45 PM

Farm Fresh Food for Families Act of 2023

This bill expands the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) to include community supported agriculture (CSA) programs and makes further changes to the program. The program awards grants for states to provide vouchers and coupons that participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may use to purchase fresh produce at approved venues (e.g., farmers' markets).

The bill adds CSA programs to WIC FMNP, which currently may include farmers' markets and roadside stands. (Under a CSA program, farmers grow food for a group of shareholders or subscribers who pledge to buy a portion of the crops grown for that season; a state agency may purchase shares or subscribe to the CSA program on behalf of individual WIC FMNP participants.)

The bill also reauthorizes WIC FMNP through FY2029 and increases the federal share of benefits a recipient may receive under the program. Specifically, the bill raises the annual minimum benefit to $20 (currently set at $10) and removes the annual cap on benefits.

Further, the bill removes a requirement for states to provide matching funds that are equal to at least 30% of the administrative costs of the program.

Congress
118

Number
S - 643

Introduced on
2023-03-02

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

3/2/2023

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Farm Fresh Food for Families Act of 2023

This bill expands the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) to include community supported agriculture (CSA) programs and makes further changes to the program. The program awards grants for states to provide vouchers and coupons that participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may use to purchase fresh produce at approved venues (e.g., farmers' markets).

The bill adds CSA programs to WIC FMNP, which currently may include farmers' markets and roadside stands. (Under a CSA program, farmers grow food for a group of shareholders or subscribers who pledge to buy a portion of the crops grown for that season; a state agency may purchase shares or subscribe to the CSA program on behalf of individual WIC FMNP participants.)

The bill also reauthorizes WIC FMNP through FY2029 and increases the federal share of benefits a recipient may receive under the program. Specifically, the bill raises the annual minimum benefit to $20 (currently set at $10) and removes the annual cap on benefits.

Further, the bill removes a requirement for states to provide matching funds that are equal to at least 30% of the administrative costs of the program.

Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA bill to amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to modernize the farmers' market nutrition program under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children, and for other purposes.

Policy Areas
Agriculture and Food

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary1/24/2024

Farm Fresh Food for Families Act of 2023

This bill expands the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) to include community supported agriculture (CSA) programs and makes further changes to the program. The program awards g...


Latest Action3/2/2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.