H.R. 9581

119 HR 9581 IH: Fresh Bucks for Fresh Produce Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-07-02
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 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 9581  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   July 2, 2026   Ms. Jayapal  (for herself,  Ms. Adams ,  Ms. Barragán ,  Mr. Deluzio ,  Mr. Figures ,  Mrs. Hayes ,  Ms. Norton ,  Ms. Salinas ,  Mr. Smith of Washington , and  Mr. Thanedar ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Agriculture    A BILL
To establish a pilot program in the Department of Agriculture providing certain households with a monthly payment to purchase produce, to study the effect of such payments, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Fresh Bucks for Fresh Produce Act  .
2.
Fresh Bucks Pilot Program
(a)
Establishment
The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish and implement a program, to be known as the Fresh Bucks Pilot Program, to award grants to States for the purpose of providing monthly payments to connect households with produce in their communities.
(b)
Applications
To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a State shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. At minimum, the application shall include a plan by the State to reach low-access areas and expand retailer participation (such as through the use of mobile markets, delivery models, and partnerships with community organizations or clinics).
(c)
Selection
(1)
In general
The Secretary shall establish and make publicly available a description of the criteria that the Secretary will use in evaluating applications submitted under subsection (b).
(2)
Preference
In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to applications that prioritize food insecure communities.
(3)
Geographic diversity
In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that a grant is awarded to at least 1 State in each of the following regions:
(A)
The Pacific Northwest region.
(B)
The Northeast region.
(C)
The Western region.
(D)
The Midwest region.
(E)
The Southern region.
(d)
Use of funds
A State receiving a grant under this section may only use the grant to establish and implement a program (in this section referred to as a  State program ) to make the monthly payments described in subsection (f), including—
(1)
associated administrative costs, such as—
(A)
hiring staff;
(B)
coordinating with community-based organizations;
(C)
contracting with electronic benefits transfer card providers;
(D)
acquiring and using necessary technology systems (such as card processors); and
(E)
marketing and participant materials that are culturally relevant, plain-language, and offered in multiple languages;
(2)
providing technical and implementation assistance (including in the form of financial assistance) to eligible retailers; and
(3)
collecting and reporting to the Secretary the data described in subsection (h)(2).
(e)
Components of State programs
In administering a State program, a State, in consultation with the Secretary, shall develop and implement the following:
(1)
Household eligibility guidelines for the receipt from the State of the monthly payments described in subsection (f), which shall require that—
(A)
in order to receive a payment from the State under the State program, a household shall submit to the State an application;
(B)
only 1 such application may be submitted per household; and
(C)
a household is eligible to submit such an application only if the household makes 80 percent or less of the area median income (as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development).
(2)
Households receiving benefits under the SNAP program shall be deemed to meet the income requirement described in paragraph (1)(C). A State shall—
(A)
incorporate an opt-in or auto-enrollment mechanism with respect to such households; and
(B)
minimize the amount of additional paperwork required for such households.
(3)
An application for the receipt from the State of the monthly payments described in subsection (f) that is short, low-barrier, and mobile-friendly.
(4)
The avoidance of duplicative verification where States already have income data (such as through the SNAP program, Medicaid, or child care subsidies programs).
(5)
Strong guardrails to reduce churn, including establishing clear timelines, simple renewal, grace periods, and strong customer support.
(6)
The use of electronic benefits transfer card technology for the disbursement of the monthly payments described in subsection (f).
(7)
The provision of technical assistance to eligible retailers.
(f)
Monthly payments to households
(1)
In general
In administering a State program, a State shall make payments to eligible households, on a recurring monthly basis, to purchase qualifying food from eligible retailers.
(2)
Amount; duration
A payment under this subsection shall be $60 and may only be used during a 30-day period.
(3)
Supplement not supplant
A payment under this subsection shall supplement, not supplant, other benefits received by eligible households.
(4)
Methods of payments
In making payments under this subsection, a State may use existing disbursement methods for other programs (such as an electronic benefits transfer card).
(g)
Consultation with local groups
In administering a grant under this section, a State shall work in consultation with local community-based organizations and health clinics to reach households most impacted by food insecurity.
(h)
Study and report
(1)
Study
The Secretary shall conduct a study to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of the Fresh Bucks Pilot Program.
(2)
Data
In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall collect from States receiving grants under this section the following data with respect to eligible households receiving payments:
(A)
Average household size, income, and other demographics.
(B)
Average amount of payments used per month.
(C)
Household food security before and after participation.
(D)
Daily fruit and vegetable consumption.
(E)
Where households spent payments.
(F)
Barriers to access, such as—
(i)
distance to eligible retailers;
(ii)
transportation constraints;
(iii)
eligible retailer density and hours; and
(iv)
the availability and price of qualifying foods.
(G)
Number of eligible households on a waitlist to receive payments.
(H)
Such other data as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(3)
Initial report
Not earlier than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, but not later than 12 months after such date of enactment, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes the initial results of the study under paragraph (1).
(4)
Final report
Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes the final results of the study under paragraph (1). Such report shall include a recommendation regarding the feasibility of continuing the Fresh Bucks Pilot Program and expanding the number of participating States or the amount of monthly payments.
(i)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Eligible household
The term  eligible household  means a household that meets the income requirement described in subsection (e)(1)(C).
(2)
Eligible retailer
The term  eligible retailer  means—
(A)
a farmers market;
(B)
an independent grocer;
(C)
a farm stand;
(D)
a supermarket; and
(E)
such other retailers as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(3)
Household
(A)
In general
The term  household  means a group of 1 or more individuals living together who customarily purchase food and prepare meals for consumption together at home.
(B)
Special rule
For the purposes of this paragraph, an individual who has not attained the age of 18 and who is attending an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )) shall be deemed to be part of the household of the individual’s parents or caregivers.
(4)
Qualifying food
The term  qualifying food  means—
(A)
any fresh, frozen, or dried fruit or vegetable with no added fat, sugar, or salt;
(B)
an herb; and
(C)
a plant start that grows a food described in subparagraph (A).
(5)
Secretary
The term  Secretary  means the Secretary of Agriculture.
(6)
SNAP program
The term  SNAP program  means the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq. ).
(7)
State
The term  State  means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and possessions of the United States.
(j)
Termination
The Fresh Bucks Pilot Program shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.