What This Bill Does
This bill changes how the WIC farmers' market nutrition program works. WIC stands for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The bill updates rules about where participants can use their food benefits and what types of payment methods they can use.
Who It Affects
WIC program participants (women, infants and children who qualify for the program), state agencies that run WIC programs, farmers' markets, roadside stands, community supported agriculture programs, and farmers or groups of farmers.
Key Provisions
• States can now let WIC participants use their benefits at community supported agriculture programs if the state chooses to do so (Sec. 2(a)(4))
• States can let WIC participants use their benefits at roadside stands if the state chooses to do so (Sec. 2(a)(4))
• The program can use electronic benefit transfer cards, electronic benefit access devices or technology, or other payment methods instead of just paper coupons (Sec. 2(a)(10)(B))
• State agencies may purchase shares or subscribe to community supported agriculture programs on behalf of individual WIC participants (Sec. 2(a)(10)(A)(ii))
• Funds must be used either for scrip (a type of certificate of value) to exchange for fresh unprepared foods or to purchase approved food items (Sec. 2(a)(7)(E)(ii))
What Changes
The bill replaces the word "coupon" with "food instrument" throughout the program rules. States gain the option to include roadside stands and community supported agriculture programs as places where WIC participants can buy food. The program can now use modern electronic payment systems instead of only paper coupons. The bill also changes references to paragraph numbers due to removing one paragraph from the original law.
Important Definitions
• Community supported agriculture program: A program where a farmer or group of farmers grows food for shareholders or subscribers who pledge to buy a portion of the crops for that season. A state agency can purchase shares on behalf of WIC participants.
• Food instrument: A coupon, voucher, electronic benefit transfer card, electronic benefit access device or technology, or other negotiable financial instrument used to get food benefits under this program.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 643
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.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 2, 2023
Mr. OSSOFF (for himself and Ms. ERNST) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry
A 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Farm Fresh Food for
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Families Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. WIC FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 17(m) of the Child Nutri-
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tion Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(m)) is amended—
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•S 643 IS
(1) by striking ‘‘coupon’’ each place it appears
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and inserting ‘‘food instrument’’;
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(2) by striking ‘‘coupons’’ each place it appears
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and inserting ‘‘food instruments’’;
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(3) by striking ‘‘(m)(1) Subject to’’ and insert-
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ing the following:
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‘‘(m) FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to’’;
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(4) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘markets’’
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and all that follows through ‘‘roadside stands’’ and
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inserting ‘‘markets, roadside stands (at the option of
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a State), and community supported agriculture pro-
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grams (at the option of a State)’’;
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(5) by striking paragraph (3);
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(6) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through
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(10) as paragraphs (3) through (9), respectively,
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and indenting the paragraphs, and the subpara-
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graphs, clauses, and subclauses within those para-
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graphs, in accordance with the margin of paragraph
19
(1) (as so amended);
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(7) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated)—
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(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph
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(A), by striking ‘‘(4) Each State’’ and inserting
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the following:
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‘‘(4) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Each State’’;
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•S 643 IS
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking
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‘‘funds—’’ in the matter preceding clause (i)
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and all that follows through the period at the
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end of clause (ii) and inserting ‘‘funds provided
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under the grant.’’;
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(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘be—
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’’ in the matter preceding clause (i) and all that
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follows through the period at the end of clause
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(ii) and inserting ‘‘be less than $20 per year.’’;
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(D) in subparagraph (E)—
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(i) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, farm-
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ers’ markets, and community supported
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agriculture programs’’ after ‘‘producers’’;
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and
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(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘only to
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purchase’’ and inserting the following:
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‘‘only—
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‘‘(I) for a scrip, as defined by the
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Secretary, to exchange for fresh nutri-
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tious unprepared foods for human
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consumption; or
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‘‘(II) to purchase’’; and
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(E) in subparagraph (F)—
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(i) in clause (ii)—
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(I) by striking ‘‘2 percent’’ and
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inserting ‘‘3 percent’’; and
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(II) by inserting ‘‘, including ef-
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forts to develop efficient and appro-
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priate electronic benefit systems,’’
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after ‘‘technical assistance’’; and
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(ii) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘con-
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tribute’’ and all that follows through the
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period at the end and inserting ‘‘con-
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tribute.’’;
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(8) in paragraph (5)(B)(i) (as so redesignated),
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by striking ‘‘if a State provides the amount of
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matching funds required under paragraph (3), the’’
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and inserting ‘‘a’’;
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(9) in paragraph (8)(A) (as so redesignated), by
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striking ‘‘2015’’ and inserting ‘‘2029’’; and
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(10) in paragraph (9) (as so redesignated)—
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(A) by striking subparagraph (A);
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(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (B)
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through (D) as subparagraphs (C) through (E),
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respectively;
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(C) by inserting before subparagraph (C)
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(as so redesignated) the following:
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‘‘(A)
COMMUNITY
SUPPORTED
AGRI-
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CULTURE
PROGRAM.—The term ‘community
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•S 643 IS
supported agriculture program’ means a pro-
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gram under which—
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‘‘(i) a farmer or group of farmers
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grows food for a group of shareholders or
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subscribers, who pledge to buy a portion of
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the 1 or more crops grown by the farmer
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or group for that season; and
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‘‘(ii) a State agency may purchase
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shares or subscribe to the community sup-
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ported agriculture program on behalf of in-
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dividual farmers’ market nutrition pro-
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gram participants.
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‘‘(B) FOOD INSTRUMENT.—The term ‘food
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instrument’ means a coupon, voucher, electronic
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benefit transfer card, electronic benefit access
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device or technology, or other negotiable finan-
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cial instrument that is used to obtain food ben-
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efits under this section.’’; and
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(D) in each of subparagraphs (C) through
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(E) (as so redesignated), by inserting after the
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subparagraph designation a heading, the text of
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which comprises the term defined in that sub-
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paragraph.
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(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
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Section 17(m) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
2
U.S.C. 1786(m)) is amended—
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(1) by striking ‘‘paragraph (6)’’ each place it
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appears and inserting ‘‘paragraph (5)’’; and
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(2) in paragraph (5) (as redesignated by sub-
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section (a)(6))—
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(A) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking
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‘‘paragraph (10)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph
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(8)’’;
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(B) in subparagraph (C)(iv), by striking
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‘‘subparagraph (G)(i)’’ each place it appears
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and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (F)(i)’’;
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(C) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II), by strik-
14
ing ‘‘paragraph (5)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph
15
(4)’’; and
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(D) in subparagraph (F)(iii), by striking
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‘‘paragraph (10)(B)(ii)’’ and inserting ‘‘para-
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graph (8)(B)(ii)’’.
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Æ
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