H.R. 5129House115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 8:38 PM UTC

The Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018 renews the 2016 Global Food Security Act, extending its funding and program authority through fiscal year 2021. It adds deworming programs to the list of policy goals, includes the Inter‑American Foundation among the agencies that can implement the strategy, and updates reporting and funding timelines. The changes affect U.S. foreign assistance programs that aim to improve nutrition, agricultural development, and health in low‑income countries.

Key Provisions

Adds “deworming programs” to the Act’s policy objectives alongside diet diversification and other goals.
Includes the Inter‑American Foundation as a eligible agency for implementing the global food security strategy.
Extends the authorization of appropriations for the strategy from FY 2017‑2018 to FY 2017‑2021.
Changes reporting deadlines to require a report by September 30, 2018 and then annually through 2021, covering the preceding fiscal year.
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act to match the FY 2017‑2021 funding period for the Global Food Security program.

Legislative Activity

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4 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules, by Unanimous Consent.

Foreign Affairs Committee

April 17, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 27, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs Committee

February 27, 2018

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Foreign Affairs Committee

April 17, 2018

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

Foreign Affairs Committee

April 17, 2018

HouseCommittee

Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules, by Unanimous Consent.

Foreign Affairs Committee

April 17, 2018

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 5129 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Christopher H. SmithR-NJ-4 · Apr 18, 2018

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we marked up H.R. 5129, the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018. I'd like to thank Chairman Royce, for his leadership on global food security, including in…

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we marked up H.R. 5129, the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018. I'd like to thank Chairman Royce, for his leadership on global food security, including in particular for his original cosponsorship of this reauthorization as well as the original Global Food Security Act, and his agreeing to move this bill to markup so rapidly.

The original Global Food Security Act promoted food security, resilience and nutrition in developing countries in keeping with U.S. national security interests. Through agriculture-led economic development, GFSA has strengthened partner countries' capacity and lessened their dependence on emergency food assistance. It has also improved efficiency among federal departments and agencies and leveraged the participation of other non-U.S. governmental partners.

I should be restated that GFSA's legacy as a bipartisan success story--legislation which solidified in law a policy that had its roots in the Bush Administration, was amplified by President Obama and is now being implemented by President Trump.

Now is the time to reauthorize this landmark legislation. H.R. 5129 builds upon the Global Food Security Act of 2016, which formally codified the Feed the Future Initiative and was signed into law with overwhelming bipartisan support in July 2016, by reauthorizing the program for two years--per the Amendment you have before you--through 2020.

Crucially, this reauthorization bill emphasizes the importance of deworming initiatives. Among the neglected tropical diseases, intestinal worms account for nearly eighty percent of NTD prevalence, affecting close to one billion people the world over. These worms undercut our nutrition interventions, and can lead to death by malnutrition or lifelong stunting. We need to combine our nutrition interventions not only with a coordinated deworming campaign, but also with Water Sanitation Health interventions that change people's behavior. WaSH training helps ensure people limit exposure to worms, such as by washing and peeling vegetables or something as simple as giving children shoes to wear so if they trod on worm-infected soil they don't get sick again. We are trying to feed the future, not feed the worms.

We will also rectify an oversight by including the Inter-American Foundation in the interagency initiative on Food Security. IAF does development right, in particular working with small holder farmers while keeping bureaucratic overhead low.

That we are here reauthorizing the Global Food Security Act is a testament to the dedication of numerous committed groups outside Congress that have made food security and nutrition their priority, from advocates to implementers--especially and including faith-based organizations who perhaps work the closest to the small-holder farmers and women who benefit in particular from our food security efforts. I thank them for their support and look forward to working with them more in this process.

I'd also like to compliment our federal agencies tasked with implementing the GFSA--in particular USAID under the leadership of Beth Dunford. The professionalism and dedication of Beth and many others is critical to the overall success of the program.

Finally, I would like to thank Rep. Betty McCollum for again being the lead cosponsor on this critical, bipartisan legislation, as well as to thank original cosponsor Ranking Member Engel and the Ranking member of our subcommittee, Karen Bass and others.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 27, 2018

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5129

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 27, 2018

Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Royce of California, Mr. Engel, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Ms. Bass, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Paulsen, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Reichert, Mr. Smith of Washington, and Mr. Cicilline) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To reauthorize the Global Food Security Act of 2016, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018.

Amendments to the Global Food Security Act

(a)

Statement of policy objectives

Section 3(a)(6) of the Global Food Security Act of 2016 (22 U.S.C. 9302(a)(6)) is amended by inserting deworming programs, after diet diversification,.

(b)

Relevant Federal departments and agencies

Section 4(7) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 9303(7)) is amended by inserting the Inter-American Foundation, after the United States Africa Development Foundation,.

(c)

Authorization of appropriations To implement global food security strategy

Section 6(b) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 9305(b)) is amended by striking fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and inserting fiscal years 2017 through 2021.

(d)

Reports

The matter preceding section 8(a)(1) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 9307(a)(1)) is amended—

(1)

by striking Not later than 1 year and 2 years after the date of the submission of the strategy required under section 5(c), and inserting Not later than September 30, 2018, and annually thereafter through 2021,; and

(2)

by striking for 2017 and 2018 and inserting for the preceding fiscal year.

Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

Section 492(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292a(a)) is amended by striking fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and inserting fiscal years 2017 through 2021.