,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdgg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bc1 #bjah,ms4 
,moore introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to include    
lead poisoning prevention and mitigation
 education as a purpose of the education
 and obesity prevention program carried 
out under the ,food and ,nutrition ,act 
of #bjjh1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,,snap-,ed ,fights ,lead ,act of    
#bjah4  #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress    
finds the following3  7#a7 ,the         
nutrition education and obesity         
prevention program carried out under    
section #bh of the ,food and ,nutrition 
,act of #bjjh as amended by this ,act   
7in this ,act referred to as ,,snap-,ed7
 is designed to improve the likelihood  
that individuals eligible to participate
 in the supplemental nutrition          
assistance program 7popularly known as  
,,snap7 will make healthy food choices  

within a limited budget and choose      
physically active lifestyles while      
supporting the role of ,,snap in        
addressing food insecurity among        
low-income ,americans4  7#b7 ,federal   
,,snap-,ed guidance encourages ,states  
to target their ,,snap-,ed efforts to   
women and then children in households   
that participate in ,,snap4  7#c7 ,the  
,secretary of ,agriculture encourages   
,states to develop ,,snap-,ed policies  
and activities that address the highest 
priority nutrition problems and needs of
 the target audience4  7#d7 ,given its  
target audience1 ,,snap-,ed can play a  
role in reaching and mitigating the     
consequence of elevated blood lead      
levels in children who remain at the    
greatest risk for lead poisoning by     
educating individuals on a healthy diet 
that can help combat lead exposure4     
7#e7 ,according to the ,department of   
,agriculture1 foods rich in iron1       
calcium and vitamin ,c have been shown  
to help limit the absorption of lead by 

the body4 ,research indicates that the  
body absorbs lead faster when the       
stomach is empty4  7#f7 ,as part of its 
response to the lead crisis in ,flint1  
,michigan1 the ,department of           
,agriculture promoted nutrition         
education messages through ,federal     
nutrition program providers1            
community-based partner organizations   
and farmers' markets on important foods 
to consume to mitigate lead absorption4 
,however1 more can be done to use       
,,snap-,ed to help children and their   
families who are affected by lead       
poisoning4  7#g7 ,in #bjad the ,centers 
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention   
estimated that #ece1jjj children in the 
,united ,states had blood lead levels at
 or above #e micrograms per deciliter   
which is the measure used to identify   
children with blood lead levels that are
 much higher than most children's       
levels4 ,of these1 #aej1jjj had levels  
at or greater than #aj micrograms per   
deciliter4 ,low-income and minority     

children make up a disproportionate     
number of these cases4  7#h7 ,it is     
critical that the ,federal ,government  
continue to promote the use of          
,,snap-,ed funding for activities that  
increase education about and access to  
foods rich in nutrients key to          
combatting lead exposure4  #c4          
,amendments  7a7 ,purpose ,section      
#bh7;b7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act
 of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjcf;a7b77 is  
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  ,the ,secretary shall ensure
 that such program includes messaging   
and education about the foods that can  
reduce the impact of elevated blood lead
 levels in children1 especially in areas
 where the health risk to children is   
highest4 4  7b7 ,state nutrition        
education plan ,section #bh7;c77#b7 of  
the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh  
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjcf;a7c77#b77 is        
amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,b7--   
7,a7 by amending clause 7i7 to read as  
follows3  7i7 present valid and         

data-driven needs assessments of the    
nutrition1 physical activity1 and       
obesity prevention needs of the target  
population2  2  7,b7 in clause 7ii7 by  
striking and at the end2  7,c7 in clause
 7iii7 by striking the period at the end
 and inserting a semicolon2  7,d7       
redesignating clauses 7ii7 and 7iii7 as 
clauses 7iii7 and 7iv71 respectively2   
7,e7 by inserting after clause 7i7 the  
following3  7ii7 identify the use of    
funding for evidence-based ,state or    
local projects that meet those needs2  2
  7,f7 by adding at the end the         
following3  7v7 demonstrate and follow  
evidence-based strategies for effective 
nutrition education and obesity         
prevention2  7vi7 include a             
comprehensive statewide community needs 
assessment1 pursuant to ,federal        
guidelines that include public comments1
 to ensure funded activities have the   
greatest impact on the targeted         
populations2 and  7vii7 to the maximum  
extent practicable1 ensure that funds   

received under this section are expended
 and targeted to provide nutrition      
education and obesity prevention        
services in areas in the ,state in      
proportion to the population of eligible
 individuals residing in such areas4  2 
and  7#b7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7,d7 ,approval of nutrition 
education ,state plan ,after conducting 
a thorough review of the ,state         
nutrition education plan1 the ,secretary
 shall have exclusive authority to      
approve or disapprove such plan if it   
satisfies the requirements of this      
paragraph4 ,the ,secretary shall approve
 such plan only if the ,secretary       
determines that implementation of such  
plan will--  7i7 advance the ,federal   
purposes of ,,snap-,ed to help targeted 
populations make healthy food choices1  
mitigate lead poisoning1 and promote    
physical activity2  7ii7 a substantial  
likelihood of achieving program         
objectives2  7iii7 require the funded   
projects to be age-appropriate1         

culturally appropriate1 and             
linguistically appropriate for the      
target population2  7iv7 satisfactorily 
measure1 monitor1 and evaluate the      
effectiveness of authorized projects2   
7v7 use funds received to carry out such
 plan 7and associated funds7 to direct  
nutrition education and obesity         
prevention services to serve areas in   
the ,state that have the highest        
concentration of eligible individuals2  
and  7vi7 effectively provide nutrition 
education and obesity prevention        
services through projects identified    
based on a thorough statewide community 
needs assessment that involves public   
and stakeholder feedback and that       
identifies areas and populations in the 
,state with the greatest need for       
interventions4  7,e7 ,transparency ,not 
later than #ae days after the ,secretary
 approves a nutrition education ,state  
plan 7or a modification of such plan71  
the ,secretary shall publish the        
approved plan 7or the approved          

modification of the approved plan71     
including the date of approval1 on the  
website of the ,department of           
,agriculture4  4  7c7 ,use of funds     
,section #bh7;c7 of the ,food and       
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjcf;a7c77 is amended-- 7#a7 in the    
heading by inserting 1 lead mitigation1 
and after services2 and  7#b7 in        
paragraph 7#c77;,a77iii7 by inserting   
including to address elevated blood lead
 levels in children before the period at
 the end4  #d4 ,report by ,comptroller  
,general ,not later than #ij days after 
the effective date of this section1 the 
,comptroller ,general shall begin to    
conduct an assessment of how each of the
 ,states allocates funds received for   
projects under section #bh of the ,food 
and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g        
,u4,s4,c4 #bjcf;a7 and the extent to    
which such funds are currently used for 
lead mitigation activities4 ,such       
assessment shall include an evaluation  
of--  7#a7 whether the ,state allocation

 of such funds to local projects aligns 
with geographic areas with the highest  
populations of low-income individuals   
and households that participate in      
,,snap2  7#b7 whether there is a        
substantial likelihood that the         
,,snap-,ed objectives of the ,state     
,,snap-,ed plan will be achieved with   
funds received for ,,snap-,ed2  7#c7    
whether there is effective ,federal     
oversight of implementation of such plan
 to ensure that ,federal funds are being
 used to achieve such objectives2  7#d7 
the extent to which such funds will be  
used under such plan to carry out lead  
poisoning mitigation and education      
projects and the extent to which        
,,snap-,ed benefits will be targeted to 
those at high risk for lead poisoning2  
7#e7 the extent to which funds are      
currently being used under section #bh  
of such ,act to carry out lead poisoning
 mitigation and education projects and  
the extent to which program benefits are
 targeted to those at high risk for lead

 poisoning2 and  7#f7 the effectiveness 
of the process used by ,states to       
solicit public and stakeholder input    
into the development of the ,state      
agency plan1 including how that input is
 used to ensure the plan addresses the  
most pressing nutrition education needs 
in the ,state4  #e4 ,effective dates    
7a7 ,general effective date ,except as  
provided in subsection 7b71 this ,act   
shall take effect #ahj days after the   
date of the enactment of this ,act4  7b7
 ,effective date of amendments ,section 
#c shall take effect on ,october #a1    
#bjbj4