Bill > HR2496

This bill establishes a new Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program within the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to encourage participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to purchase naturally nutrient-rich dairy products. The program will provide grants and cooperative agreements to eligible entities like state/local governments and nonprofit organizations to develop projects that offer direct incentives for purchasing dairy products at the point of sale. Specifically, the program defines naturally nutrient-rich dairy as fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese, and aims to test methods that increase the purchase and consumption of these products among SNAP households. The Secretary of Agriculture will competitively select projects that maximize direct participant incentives, use electronic point-of-sale systems, and serve SNAP households. Each project will undergo an independent, rigorous evaluation to measure its effectiveness, with results to be publicly shared. The bill allocates $10 million in mandatory funding annually, with an additional $10 million authorized for fiscal year 2026 and subsequent years, and limits administrative costs to 7% of the total funding. The legislation also transitions existing healthy fluid milk incentive projects into this new program, ensuring no interruption in current initiatives.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2496/all-info