Bill > S03546

This bill enacts the "Food Retail Establishment Subsidization for Healthy Communities Act" (FRESH Communities), which provides loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, and grants to businesses, municipalities, non-profit corporations, or local development corporations to attract, maintain, or expand food retail establishments in underserved areas. Underserved areas are defined as low or moderate-income census tracts, areas with below-average supermarket density or where more than 50% of the supermarket customer base lives in low-income census tracts, or other areas with significant access limitations due to travel distance. The bill aims to address the lack of access to fresh foods in many communities, which can lead to public health issues, increased costs, and economic challenges for local farmers. The program will assess the economic viability of projects and their potential impact on the community.