,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #djhd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #be1 #bjad 
,mr4 ,hastings of ,florida 7for himself1
 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,mr4 ,cartwright1 ,ms4 
,jackson ,lee1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4    
,moran1 ,mr4 ,rangel1 ,ms4 ,wilson of   
,florida1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 and ,mr4       
,connolly7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,education and the        
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,domestic ,volunteer ,service ,act of   
#aigc to establish a ,community ,gardens
 ,pilot ,program1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,community          
,gardening and ,nutrition ,act of #bjad4
  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the     
following3  7#a7 ,a community garden    
improves the quality of life1 encourages
 self-reliance1 produces highly         
nutritious food1 reduces family food    
budgets1 and creates opportunities for  
recreation1 social interaction1         

exercise1 education1 and economic       
development for people participating in 
the garden4  7#b7 ,the creation of      
community gardens has been an effective 
approach to cleaning up and maintaining 
abandoned vacant lots4  7#c7 ,many      
community gardens donate fresh fruits   
and vegetables to local food pantries1  
cooperatives1 and homeless members of   
the community1 and provide for a source 
of fresh fruits and vegetables for      
participants of the gardens4  7#d7 ,an  
,august #bjac report by the ,union of   
,concerned ,scientists entitled ,the #aa
 ,trillion ,reward concluded that if    
,americans were to eat #b4e cups of     
vegetables and #b cups of fruit daily1  
as recommended by ,federal dietary      
guidelines1 nearly #acj1jjj deaths could
 be prevented and #ag billion could be  
saved in medical costs4  7#e7 ,the      
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services recommends eating more dark   
green vegetables1 legumes1 and fruits2  
and eating fewer refined grains1 less   

fat1 and fewer calories4  7#f7 ,a #bjaj 
review of the ,nutritional ,implications
 of ,farmers' ,markets and ,community   
,gardens published by the ,journal of   
the ,american ,dietetic ,association    
found that community gardens promote    
healthy behaviors4  7#g7 ,a #bjaa pilot 
study entitled ,,la ,sprouts published  
by the ,journal of the ,american        
,dietetic ,association found that       
teaching gardening and nutrition        
improved the dietary intakes of children
 and reduced childhood obesity4  #c4    
,community ,garden ,pilot ,program  7a7 
,purpose ,section #ajc7;a7 of the       
,domestic ,volunteer ,service ,act of   
#aigc 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #diec7;a77 is      
amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 7#ab7 by   
striking and at the end2  7#b7 in       
paragraph 7#ac7 by striking the period  
and inserting 2 and2 and  7#c7 by adding
 at the end the following3  7#ad7 in    
establishing initiatives that address   
the health and nutrition of individuals 
in low-income and underserved           

communities1 including by--  7,a7       
creating new community gardens and      
supporting and expanding existing       
community gardens2  7,b7 recruiting     
local community members to actively     
engage in community gardens and         
gardening projects2  7,c7 transforming  
vacant places into community garden     
plots2  7,d7 increasing access for      
community members to healthy foods and  
local foods while also encouraging      
community members to stay active2  7,e7 
expanding anti-poverty efforts by       
teaching basic nutrition and            
self-reliance through community         
gardening programs2 and  7,f7 developing
 initiatives that increase access to    
healthy1 locally grown foods for the    
community at large4  4  7b7             
,establishment ,part ,a of title ,i of  
such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #diea et seq47 
is amended by adding at the end the     
following3  #aaj4 ,community ,garden    
,pilot ,program  7a7 ,the ,director     
shall establish a ,community ,garden    

,pilot ,program for the purpose of      
carrying out the work described under   
section #ajc7;a77#ad74 ,in conducting   
the ,program1 the ,director shall carry 
out no less than #dj projects4  7b7 ,in 
carrying out the ,program established   
under subsection 7a71 the ,director     
shall give priority to--  7#a7          
volunteers with experience in health1   
nutrition1 and gardening2  7#b7 projects
 located in varied geographic regions2  
and  7#c7 selecting a balance of urban  
and rural projects4  4  7c7             
,authorization ,section #eja7;a7 of such
 ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ejha7;a77 is      
amended by--  7#a7 redesignating        
paragraph 7#c7 as paragraph 7#d72 and   
7#b7 inserting after paragraph 7#b7 the 
following3  7#c7 ,community ,garden     
,pilot ,program ,there are authorized to
 be appropriated to carry out section   
#aaj of part ,a of title ,i #d1jjj1jjj  
for fiscal year #bjad and such sums     
shall remain available until expended4  
4  7d7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of

 contents in section #a7;b7 of such ,act
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #diej7 is amended by    
adding after the item relating to       
section #aji the following new item3    
,sec4 #aaj4 ,community ,garden ,pilot   
,program4  4  #d4 ,report ,not later    
than #ij days after the completion of   
the ,community ,garden ,pilot ,program  
established under section #aaj7;a7 of   
the ,domestic ,volunteer ,service ,act  
of #aigc 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #diea7;a771 the 
,assistant ,director appointed pursuant 
to section #aid7;d77#a77;,a7 of the     
,national and ,community ,service ,act  
of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4                 
#abfea;e7d77#a77;,a771 shall submit to  
,congress a report containing--  7#a7 a 
description of the projects and         
volunteer placements under the ,program2
  7#b7 results and analysis of completed
 projects under the ,program2 and  7#c7 
any recommendations for continuation of 
the ,program4