American Farmers, Food Banks, and Families Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7554 To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to promote an American agriculture first agenda and establish the position of Domestic Agriculture Supply Chain Administrator in the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture to connect United States farmers with food banks, grocers, and nonprofit food distributors during periods of food scarcity, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 9, 2020 Mr. NEWHOUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to promote an American agriculture first agenda and establish the position of Domestic Agri- culture Supply Chain Administrator in the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture to connect United States farm- ers with food banks, grocers, and nonprofit food distribu- tors during periods of food scarcity, and for other pur- poses. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:30 Aug 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7554.IH H7554 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7554 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Farmers, 2 Food Banks, and Families Act of 2020’’. 3 SEC. 2. DOMESTIC AGRICULTURE SUPPLY CHAIN ADMINIS- 4 TRATOR. 5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Department of 6 Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by in- 7 serting after section 216 (7 U.S.C. 6916) the following: 8 ‘‘SEC. 217. DOMESTIC AGRICULTURE SUPPLY CHAIN ADMIN- 9 ISTRATOR. 10 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary shall establish 11 in the Office of the Secretary a position of Domestic Agri- 12 culture Supply Chain Administrator (referred to in this 13 section as the ‘Administrator’). 14 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Administrator shall— 15 ‘‘(1) carry out activities in the interest of as- 16 sisting farmers in entering the products of the farm- 17 ers into the domestic market; 18 ‘‘(2) act as a liaison between— 19 ‘‘(A) farmers; and 20 ‘‘(B) food banks, schools, grocers, res- 21 taurants, and other food distribution entities 22 partnered with the Department or other non- 23 profit organizations; and 24 ‘‘(3)(A) identify barriers, either regulatory or 25 legal, that prevent or inhibit farmers from entering 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:30 Aug 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7554.IH H7554 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7554 IH the products of the farmers into the domestic mar- 1 ket through food distribution networks or other enti- 2 ties; and 3 ‘‘(B) make recommendations to the Secretary 4 regarding the means by which to remove the barriers 5 identified under subparagraph (A). 6 ‘‘(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Administrator 7 shall be— 8 ‘‘(1) to promote the domestic supply chain; and 9 ‘‘(2) to connect farmers that have excess agri- 10 cultural products, whether perishable or nonperish- 11 able, with an appropriate food distribution organiza- 12 tion that is in need of certain agricultural products. 13 ‘‘(d) TEAM.—The Administrator shall oversee a team 14 composed of— 15 ‘‘(1) a regulatory reform officer; 16 ‘‘(2) an agricultural marketing expert; and 17 ‘‘(3) individuals with private sector experience 18 in the food distribution network. 19 ‘‘(e) COLLABORATION.—The Administrator shall con- 20 vene representatives of appropriate Federal advisory com- 21 mittees of the Agricultural Marketing Service, Federal 22 agencies, and members of the private sector to advise the 23 Administrator in carrying out the duties described in sub- 24 section (b). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:30 Aug 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7554.IH H7554 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 7554 IH ‘‘(f) EXISTING POSITION.—To the extent practicable, 1 the Administrator shall be an additional role of an existing 2 position, and not a new position, within the Office of the 3 Secretary.’’. 4 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of 5 the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 6 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by adding at the end 7 the following: 8 ‘‘(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry 9 out the amendments made to this title by the Amer- 10 ican Farmers, Food Banks, and Families Act of 11 2020’’. 12 (c) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Subtitle A of the De- 13 partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is 14 amended by redesignating section 225 (7 U.S.C. 6925) as 15 section 224A. 16 SEC. 3. CATALOG TO CONNECT FARMERS AND FOOD DIS- 17 TRIBUTION ORGANIZATIONS. 18 The Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with 19 private sector entities, shall establish a catalog or data re- 20 source that is capable of recording— 21 (1) farms that have excess agricultural prod- 22 ucts; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:30 Aug 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7554.IH H7554 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 7554 IH (2) food distribution organizations that are in 1 need of certain agricultural products. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:30 Aug 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H7554.IH H7554 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS