Food Access in Community Health Centers Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10680 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10680

  To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
 grant program to facilitate food access in community health centers, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 1, 2026

Mr. Latimer (for himself, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Bynum, Ms. Clarke 
    of New York, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Norton, Mr. Jackson of 
Illinois, Ms. McBride, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, and Mr. 
 Torres of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                    to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
 grant program to facilitate food access in community health centers, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Food Access in Community Health 
Centers Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO FACILITATE FOOD ACCESS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH 
              CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
establish a grant program (in this section referred to as the 
``Program'') to facilitate food access in community health centers.
    (b) Grant Authority.--In carrying out the Program, the Secretary 
may make grants on a competitive basis to eligible partnerships in 
accordance with this section.
    (c) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an 
eligible partnership shall submit to the Secretary an application in 
such form, at such time, and containing such information as the 
Secretary determines appropriate, including, at a minimum, a 
description of a project described in subsection (d) proposed to be 
carried out with such grant.
    (d) Eligible Projects.--The Secretary may make a grant under the 
Program only for a project that--
            (1) provides a physical space in or adjacent to a community 
        health center for the operation of a location that makes food 
        available;
            (2) provides a vehicle that makes food available--
                    (A) on the premises of a community health center; 
                and
                    (B) according to a defined schedule; or
            (3) assists with costs related to the operation of a 
        physical space described in paragraph (1) or a vehicle 
        described in paragraph (2), including any costs related to the 
        procurement, transportation, storage, or distribution of food.
    (e) Maximum Award.--A grant awarded to an eligible partnership 
under the Program may not exceed $500,000.
    (f) Reporting Required.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
make publicly available a report that includes--
            (1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Program;
            (2) an analysis of the impact of the Program on the food 
        insecurity of patients of community health centers; and
            (3) recommendations to improve the Program.
    (g) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Community health center.--The term ``community health 
        center'' has the meaning given the term ``Federally-qualified 
        health center'' in section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1396d).
            (2) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
        partnership'' means a community health center and an emergency 
        feeding operation that partner together with respect to a 
        project described in subsection (d).
            (3) Emergency feeding operation.--The term ``emergency 
        feeding operation'' means a public or private nonprofit 
        organization that administers activities and projects 
        (including the activities and projects of a charitable 
        institution, a food bank, a food pantry, a hunger relief 
        center, a soup kitchen, or a similar public or private 
        nonprofit organization) that make food available.
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