,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfee  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #g1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,casey introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
,a ,,bill  ,to provide funding for      
targeted purchases of qualified         
agricultural products from producers    
that rely on local agricultural food    
markets affected by ,,covid-#ai1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the               
,farmers-,feeding-,families ,coronavirus
 ,response ,act4  #b4 ,targeted         
purchases of agricultural products  7a7 
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,emergency food assistance program ,the 
term emergency food assistance program  
means the emergency food assistance     
program established under the ,emergency
 ,food ,assistance ,act of #aihc 7#g    
,u4,s4,c4 #geja et seq474  7#b7         
,qualified agricultural product ,the    

term qualified agricultural product     
means a specialty crop1 dairy product1  
meat product1 or poultry product-- 7,a7 
that was packaged1 marketed1 intended to
 be harvested1 or harvested for sale--  
7i7 to commercial or food service       
industries2 or  7ii7 through            
direct-to-consumer1                     
direct-to-institution1 direct-to-retail1
 direct-to-restaurant1 or               
direct-to-store marketing channels1     
including local and regional food       
enterprises such as food hubs1          
agricultural cooperatives1 and producer 
associations2 and  7,b7 for which       
decreased demand exists due to the      
,coronavirus ,disease #bjai             
7,,covid-#ai71 as determined by the     
,secretary4  7#c7 ,secretary ,the term  
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,agriculture4  7b7 ,targeted purchases  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall  
use not less than #cjj1jjj1jjj of the   
amounts appropriated under section #cb  
of the ,act of ,august #bd1 #aice 7#g   

,u4,s4,c4 #fab;c71 to purchase qualified
 agricultural products to provide to    
food assistance programs1 including the 
emergency food assistance program4  7#b7
 ,qualified agricultural products       
purchased ,in carrying out paragraph    
7#a71 the ,secretary shall use-- 7,a7   
not less than #ajj1jjj1jjj to purchase  
specialty crops2  7,b7 not less than    
#ajj1jjj1jjj to purchase dairy2 and     
7,c7 not less than #ajj1jjj1jjj to      
purchase meat and poultry products1     
including eggs4  7#c7 ,direct market    
products ,in carrying out paragraph     
7#a71 the ,secretary shall1 to the      
maximum extent practicable1 use not less
 than #aj percent of the amount made    
available under that paragraph to       
purchase qualified agricultural products
 that would otherwise be sold through   
direct-to-consumer1                     
direct-to-institution1 direct-to-retail1
 or direct-to-restaurant marketing      
channels4  7#d7 ,consultation ,if       
applicable1 the ,administrator of the   

,agricultural ,marketing ,service shall 
consult with the ,administrator of the  
,food and ,nutrition ,service in        
determining which qualified agricultural
 products to purchase pursuant to this  
subsection4  7c7 ,state purchasing funds
  7#a7 ,in general ,in addition to the  
amounts used under subsection 7b71 the  
,secretary shall use not less than      
#bjj1jjj1jjj of the amounts appropriated
 under section #cb of the ,act of       
,august #bd1 #aice 7#g ,u4,s4,c4        
#fab;c71 to allocate to ,states1 in     
accordance with paragraph 7#b71 to use  
for the procurement of additional food  
products to support ,state food         
assistance programs4  7#b7 ,allocation  
of funds ,the ,secretary shall allocate 
amounts to ,states under paragraph 7#a7 
according to the formula described in   
section #bea4c7;h7 of title #g1 ,code of
 ,federal ,regulations 7or successor    
regulations71 as applied for fiscal year
 #bjbj4  7#c7 ,state agency fund        
recipient ,amounts allocated to a ,state

 under this subsection shall be provided
 to the ,state agency responsible for   
distributing commodities pursuant to a  
,state plan under the emergency food    
assistance program4  7#d7 ,use of funds 
,a ,state shall use funds allocated     
under this subsection only-- 7,a7 to    
purchase qualified agricultural         
products-- 7i7 to donate to food        
assistance programs in the ,state2 or   
7ii7 to transfer directly to an eligible
 recipient agency 7as defined in section
 #bja;,a of the ,emergency ,food        
,assistance ,act of #aihc 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 
#geja772  7,b7 to purchase1 lease1 or   
otherwise acquire vehicles1 including   
refrigerated vehicles1 or other         
equipment to carry out activities       
relating to procurement and distribution
 of qualified agricultural products2    
7,c7 to reimburse travel costs relating 
to procurement of qualified agricultural
 products at the per mile rate          
established by the ,commissioner of the 
,internal ,revenue ,service2 and  7,d7  

to reimburse costs relating to          
preparing1 storing1 and transporting    
qualified agricultural products1        
including transportation to or between  
eligible recipient agencies1 as well as 
delivery to end-consumers4  7#e7 ,direct
 market support in-,state ,each ,state  
shall1 to the maximum extent            
practicable1 use not less than #aj      
percent of the amount allocated to the  
,state under this subsection to purchase
 crops and products that would otherwise
 be sold through direct-to-consumer1    
direct-to-institution1 direct-to-retail1
 or direct-to-restaurant marketing      
channels4