7 U.S.C. § 7518 — Micro-grants for food security

(a) Purpose

This section's goal is to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food. It does this through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock projects, in U.S. communities that face significant food insecurity and that import a significant amount of their food.

(b) Definitions

"Eligible entity" means an entity that is: an individual; an Indian tribe or tribal organization; a nonprofit working on food security, such as a religious organization, a food bank^*, or a food pantry^*; a federally funded educational facility, such as a Head Start or Early Head Start program, a public elementary or secondary school, a public institution of higher education, a Tribal College or University, or a job training program; or a local or tribal government that isn't allowed to levy local taxes under state or federal law — and that is also located in an "eligible State."

"Eligible State" means: Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the United States Virgin Islands.

(c) Establishment

The Secretary must distribute funds to each eligible state's agricultural department or agency, for that agency to competitively give subgrants to eligible entities. The goal is to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food-insecure communities, including through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations.

(d) Distribution of funds

Of the total money available under subsection (g), the Secretary distributes: 40% to Alaska; 40% to Hawaii; and 2.5% to each of the other eligible states or territories listed above (American Samoa through the U.S. Virgin Islands). This money stays available until it's spent. A state that receives it may use up to 3% for three things: running the subgrant competition, overseeing subgrant recipients, and collecting data for the report required under subsection (f)(2).

(e) Subgrants to eligible entities

The amount of a subgrant is capped: up to $5,000 per year for an individual, and up to $10,000 per year for the other kinds of eligible entities (tribes, nonprofits, schools, and local or tribal governments). As a condition of getting a subgrant, an entity must also contribute funds equal to 10% of the subgrant amount, from a non-federal source — though a state may waive this matching rule for an otherwise-qualifying individual. Money from a subgrant must be spent within 3 years after the entity receives it.

In running the competition, a state may give priority to an entity that hasn't previously received a subgrant under this section, or that is located in the community or region in that state with the highest degree of food insecurity. A state may give subgrants to two or more entities to carry out the same project.

An entity that receives a subgrant must use it to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food for food-insecure people, including by: buying gardening tools or equipment, soil, soil amendments, seeds, plants, animals, canning equipment, refrigeration, or other items needed to grow and store food; buying or building composting units; buying or building towers for growing leafy green vegetables; expanding cultivated land or taking other steps needed to qualify for high-tunnel funding under the environmental quality incentives program; extending the growing season; starting or expanding hydroponic or aeroponic farming of any scale; building, buying, erecting, or repairing fencing for livestock, poultry, or reindeer; buying and equipping a slaughter and processing facility approved by the Secretary; traveling to receive agricultural education from a state cooperative extension service, a land-grant college or university, a Tribal College or University, an Alaska Native-serving or Native Hawaiian-serving institution, or a federal or state agency; paying shipping costs for items related to growing or raising food for local consumption or purchase; creating or expanding ways to sell locally grown food commodities, specialty crops, and meats, or to increase the availability of fresh, locally grown, nutritious food; and other activities relating to food security, including subsistence, that the Secretary allows.

Receiving a subgrant under this section does not make an entity ineligible for other financial assistance the Secretary administers.

(f) Reporting requirement

An entity that receives a subgrant must agree to send its state a report within 60 days after its project ends, describing how the subgrant was used, how much food was grown, and how many food-insecure people were fed. Within 120 days after a state has received reports from all its subgrant recipients, that state must submit to the Secretary a combined report describing that information in the aggregate.

(g) Funding

Congress may appropriate $10,000,000 for this section for fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year after that, to remain available until spent. Only money appropriated specifically and in advance for this section can actually be used to carry it out.