H.R. 4855 – SNAP Healthy Incentives Act of 2018

This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to offer SNAP participants an incentive to purchasing nutritious fruits and vegetables.  The value of allotment will be increased by 30% of the cost of fruits and vegetable purchased by a household during a certain month.  Household size plays a role in value of allotment. “Supplemental fruits and vegetables”, as worded in the bill, are those fruits and vegetables that provide nutrients that contribute to the health of the population served. The change would go into effect October of 2018.

• Introduced in House 1/19/2018
• Latest Action: 1/19/2018 – Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture

H.R. 3841 – SNAP Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act of 2017

An amendment of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, this bill aims to make multivitamin/mineral dietary supplements eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. The dietary supplement must provide at least half of the established dietary reference intake (DRI) and not exceed the tolerable upper limit as defined by the National Academy of Medicine.

• Introduced in House 9/26/2017
• Latest Action: 10/5/2017 – Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition

H.R 3637 – Homegrown Organic Act of 2017

This bill, an amendment of the Food Security Act of 1985, is intended to better assist producers who are voluntarily transitioning to organic production systems.  The farmer or ranchers must gain organic certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990.

• Introduced in House 8/1/2017
• Latest Action: 9/1/2017 – Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry

H.R. 4749 – Truth in Certification for Foreign Food Ingredients Act

This bill is an amendment of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978. It aims to start a program to enhance transparency and traceability of food products and ingredients exported to the United States. The purpose of the bill is to protect American consumers against mislabeling, adulteration, and fraud.

• Introduced in House 1/9/2018
• Latest Action: 1/24/2018 – Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture

Bills can be followed at www.congress.gov.