Fresh Produce for Families Act of 2026

Bill Number: S. 4841
Origin Chamber: Senate
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Agriculture and Food
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-06-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Last Updated: 2026-07-02T20:50:15Z

AI-Generated Summary

The legislation aims to expand options for acquiring fresh produce under the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) by permitting limited use of an existing Department of Defense procurement channel.

Short Title: The bill is named the "Fresh Produce for Families Act of 2026."
Amendment to Existing Law: It modifies Section 214(c) of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7515(c)) by adding a new subsection.
New Option: At a state agency's request, the Secretary of Agriculture may permit the state to allocate up to 20 percent of its TEFAP commodity costs to order items through the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

Introduces a voluntary procurement alternative for TEFAP commodities, which previously lacked this specific cross-agency ordering mechanism.
Limits the new option to no more than 20 percent of allocated funds, preserving the primary structure of the existing program.

Government Agencies: May require coordination between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense for ordering and delivery processes.
Citizens: Could increase availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for recipients of emergency food assistance through food banks and similar organizations.
International Relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.

State agencies responsible for administering TEFAP allocations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Defense.
Emergency food assistance providers and low-income individuals receiving commodities.

The bill represents a targeted administrative adjustment without apparent alterations to constitutional authorities or broad legal frameworks.
It maintains the Secretary's discretion and state-level choice, avoiding mandatory requirements.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

2026-06-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
2026-06-18: Introduced in Senate