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S. 2361Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Senior Nutrition Task Force Act of 2023

Sponsored by Robert P. Casey Jr.Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA)
Introduced July 18, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 10:04 AM UTC

The Senior Nutrition Task Force Act of 2023 creates an interagency task force to tackle hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition among older adults and adults with disabilities, and to improve their access to healthy, affordable food. The task force will coordinate federal nutrition programs and report its findings to Congress.

Key Provisions

  • Establishes the Interagency Task Force to Address Hunger and Promote Access to Healthy Food for older adults and adults with disabilities.
  • Members include senior officials from Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, HUD, SSA, CDC, NIH, FEMA, and other agencies, plus at least two older adults, two adults with disabilities, two grandfamily members, and representatives from national nutrition and anti‑hunger organizations, all appointed by the President.
  • The task force will identify and share best practices, measure progress, explore interagency collaboration, and address challenges in providing healthy, affordable food to the target groups.
  • Requires the task force to submit a comprehensive report to Congress by September 30, 2026, covering best practices, recommendations, barriers, and innovative approaches.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

July 18, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 18, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

July 18, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 18, 2023

II

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2361

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 18, 2023

Mr. Casey (for himself and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

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.