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H.R. 9980

BillFederalHouseIn Committee
To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish an Office of Kosher and Halal Foods, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · November 4, 2024
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.
Introduced
October 11, 2024
Cosponsors (0)
None
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Summary

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This bill would create a new Office of Kosher and Halal Foods within the Department of Agriculture to help ensure that Jewish and Muslim Americans with religiously required dietary restrictions have equal access to federal food assistance programs. The legislation responds to findings that while roughly 35 percent of Jewish Americans and 83 percent of Muslim Americans follow strict dietary laws, current USDA food programs offer very limited kosher and halal options, with emergency food assistance programs currently providing only 8 certified kosher products and 1 halal certified product. The new office would be headed by a director with expertise in feeding programs and religious diets, and would be responsible for advising on affordable procurement of kosher and halal foods, helping food banks and schools meet dietary needs, conducting research on food insecurity in these communities, and providing educational resources to food providers. The bill allocates $1.6 million annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029, split between mandatory funding from the Commodity Credit Corporation and discretionary appropriations, and requires the office to submit annual reports to Congress on its activities and progress.

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