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Nutrition and Food Security

Since our founding, the Coalition has advocated that hunger is a health issue, as myriad studies repeatedly show that nutrition-insecure households face higher incidences of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease and consistently have more emergency room visits, hospital admissions and total days in the hospital. Additionally, the cost of hunger to the healthcare industry alone is $53 billion annually, placing an ever-widening burden on our nation’s hospitals, health systems, federally qualified health centers, non-clinical community-based service organizations and citizens. TRCC highlights policies that address the far-reaching human and financial costs of hunger and ensure nutrition security for every family.

 

For more information focusing on Food is Medicine, please click here.

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Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act

H.R. 1259 - Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA)

  • Introduced on 3/21/23

  • 49 Co-Sponsors as of 3/18/24

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S. 3093 - Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

  • Introduced on 10/19/23

  • 12 Co-Sponsors as of 3/18/24

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Description

This bill would:

  • Permanently increase the federal reimbursement level for all free, reduced-price, and paid-rate school meals by 45 cents for every lunch served and 28 cents for every breakfast served, with a yearly adjustment. 

  • Provide higher reimbursement rates to help address funding challenges, enhance menus, increase access to locally grown food, and support expanded services like afterschool snacks and breakfast in the classroom.

Status

  • The bills were referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. 

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Closing the Meal Gap Act

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H.R. 3037 - Representative Alma Adams (D-NC)

  • Introduced on 5/2/23

  • 102 Co-Sponsors as of 3/18/24

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S. 1336 - Senator Kristen Gillibrand  (D-NY)

  • Introduced on 4/27/23

  • 11 Co-Sponsors as of 3/18/24

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Description

The bill would: 

  • Change the formula that determines Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to better account for real costs and need, increasing the baseline of SNAP benefits by about 30 percent

  • Eliminate time limits on benefits as well as the cap on the Excess Shelter Deduction in the SNAP formula to consider the cost of living when calculating benefits

  • Permanently authorize a minimum standard medical deduction in areas with higher costs of living in every state for seniors and disabled individuals applying for benefits

  • Eliminate time-limits on benefits for all Americans and would extend SNAP benefits to US territories, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands

Status

  • The bills were referred to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Additional Information

Contact

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