Food Security for All Veterans Act

Food Security for All Veterans Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to report to Congress on veteran food insecurity.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3870 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3870

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report on food insecurity among 
 veterans to certain congressional committees, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 6, 2023

 Mrs. Peltola introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report on food insecurity among 
 veterans to certain congressional committees, 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 Security for All Veterans 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORT ON FOOD INSECURITY AMONG VETERANS.

    Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section (and conforming 
the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):
``Sec. 534. Annual report on food insecurity among veterans
    ``(a) Annual Report.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees an annual report on veteran food insecurity. Each such 
report shall include data on the following:
            ``(1) The socioeconomic and racial characteristics of 
        veterans experiencing food insecurity, disaggregated by State 
        in which the veteran is located, Indian tribe (if applicable), 
        age, service-connected disability rating, racial or ethnic 
        group, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
            ``(2) Native American veterans experiencing food 
        insecurity.
            ``(3) Specific interventions for veterans who screen 
        positive for food insecurity, including the number of--
                    ``(A) personnel from the Department who have 
                received specific training in screening veterans for 
                food insecurity;
                    ``(B) referrals completed by a social worker, 
                nutritionist, dietician, or other personnel of the 
                Department for veterans who screen positive as food 
                insecure, disaggregated by facility of the Department 
                from which such veterans were referred; and
                    ``(C) veterans who screen positive as food insecure 
                who were provided information regarding the 
                supplemental nutrition assistance program and other 
                Federal nutrition assistance programs.
            ``(4) Each referral described in paragraph (3)(B), 
        including the number of such referrals that were completed.
            ``(5) Eligibility screenings for participation in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program completed by 
        personnel of the Department.
            ``(6) The number of applications for participation in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program completed with 
        assistance from personnel of the Department.
            ``(7) Measurable outcomes for veterans who participate in 
        the supplemental nutrition assistance program or other Federal 
        nutrition assistance programs, including food security status, 
        health outcomes, and other measures of well-being.
            ``(8) Coordination efforts between State agencies, 
        facilities of the Department and the Department of Agriculture 
        located in that State, and veteran service organizations 
        regarding outreach to veterans to participate in the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `appropriate congressional committees' means 
        the following:
                    ``(A) The Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives.
                    ``(B) The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate.
                    ``(C) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
                House of Representatives.
                    ``(D) The Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
                Senate.
            ``(2) The term `Indian tribe' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
        Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            ``(3) The terms `Native American' and `Native American 
        veteran' have the meanings given those terms in section 3765 of 
        this title.
            ``(4) The terms `State agency' and `supplemental nutrition 
        assistance program' have the meanings given those terms in 
        section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
        2012).''.
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