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H.R. 4706House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Senior Nutrition Task Force Act of 2023

Sponsored by Brian K. FitzpatrickRep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Introduced July 18, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 10:03 AM UTC

The Senior Nutrition Task Force Act of 2023 creates a new interagency task force to tackle hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition among older adults and adults with disabilities. The task force will coordinate federal resources, share best practices, and work to improve access to healthy, affordable food for these groups.

Key Provisions

  • Establishes the Interagency Task Force to Address Hunger and Promote Access to Healthy Food among older adults and adults with disabilities.
  • Specifies task‑force members, including heads or designees from multiple federal departments (Agriculture, HHS, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, HUD, etc.) and appointed representatives of older adults, people with disabilities, grand‑family caregivers, and national nutrition or anti‑hunger organizations.
  • Designates the Secretary of Agriculture (or designee) as chair and the Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (or designee) as vice‑chair.
  • Assigns the task force duties to identify and share resources, measure progress, explore interagency collaboration, and address challenges in improving nutrition and food access for the target populations.
  • Requires the task force to submit a comprehensive report to Congress by September 30, 2026 outlining best practices, recommendations, barriers, and innovative approaches.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

September 19, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 18, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

July 18, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.

Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee

September 19, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 18, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4706

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 18, 2023

Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself and Ms. Crockett) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To establish the Interagency Task Force to Address Hunger and Promote Access to Healthy Food Among Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Senior Nutrition Task Force Act of 2023.

2.

Interagency task force

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Disability

The term disability has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).

(2)

Older person

The term older person has the meaning given the term older individual in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002).

(3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(4)

Task Force

The term Task Force means the task force established by subsection (b).

(b)

Establishment

There is established a task force, to be known as the Interagency Task Force to Address Hunger and Promote Access to Healthy Food Among Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities.

(c)

Members

(1)

In general

The members of the Task Force shall be the following:

(A)

The Secretary (or a designee).

(B)

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (or a designee).

(C)

The Secretary of Transportation (or a designee).

(D)

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or a designee).

(E)

The Administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service (or a designee).

(F)

The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (or a designee).

(G)

The Administrator for Independent Living within the Administration for Community Living (or a designee).

(H)

The Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (or a designee).

(I)

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (or a designee).

(J)

The Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (or a designee).

(K)

The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (or a designee).

(L)

The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or a designee).

(M)

The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use (or a designee).

(N)

The Surgeon General (or a designee).

(O)

The Deputy Administrator for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (or a designee).

(P)

The Director of the Office on Nutrition Research of the National Institutes of Health (or a designee).

(Q)

The Director of the Indian Health Service (or a designee).

(R)

The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (or a designee).

(S)

The head of any other relevant Federal department or agency, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, and appointed by the President.

(T)

At least 2 older persons, appointed by the President, who are recipients of Federal nutrition benefits, as determined by the President.

(U)

At least 2 adults with disabilities, appointed by the President, who are recipients of Federal nutrition benefits, as determined by the President.

(V)

At least 2 members of grandfamilies or kinship families, appointed by the President, who are recipients of Federal nutrition benefits, as determined by the President.

(W)

At least 1 representative, appointed by the President, from a national older adult nutrition organization.

(X)

At least 1 representative, appointed by the President, from a national organization that addresses hunger among adults with disabilities.

(Y)

At least 1 representative, appointed by the President, from a national antihunger organization.

(2)

Chairperson

The Chairperson of the Task Force shall be the Secretary (or a designee).

(3)

Vice Chairperson

The Vice Chairperson of the Task Force shall be the Administrator of the Administration for Community Living (or a designee).

(d)

Duties

The duties of the Task Force shall be the following:

(1)

Identify, promote, coordinate, and disseminate information and resources and other available best practices—

(A)

to address hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition among older adults and adults with disabilities; and

(B)

to increase access to healthy foods.

(2)

Measure and evaluate progress in—

(A)

addressing hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition among older adults and adults with disabilities; and

(B)

increasing access to healthy, affordable, and local or regional food for older adults and adults with disabilities.

(3)

Examine interagency opportunities—

(A)

to collaboratively address hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition among older adults and adults with disabilities;

(B)

to promote access to healthy, affordable, and local or regional food for older adults and adults with disabilities; and

(C)

to foster participation across Federal nutrition services.

(4)

Examine challenges to interagency efforts to carry out subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (3).

(e)

Report

Not later than September 30, 2026, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report that describes—

(1)

best practices for addressing hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition and promoting access to healthy, affordable, and local or regional food among older adults and adults with disabilities;

(2)

recommendations to support interagency efforts to address hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition and promote access to healthy, affordable, and local or regional food among older adults and adults with disabilities;

(3)

existing barriers to promoting interagency collaboration to address hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition and access to healthy, affordable, and local or regional food among older adults and adults with disabilities; and

(4)

innovative practices to address hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition and promote access to healthy, affordable, and local or regional food among older adults and adults with disabilities.