← Back to Bills
H.R. 10171House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Improving Health Through Integrated Food and Nutrition Services at Federally Qualified Health Centers Act

Sponsored by Joseph D. MorelleRep. Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY)
Introduced August 27, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 1, 2026 at 5:10 AM UTC

The Improving Health Through Integrated Food and Nutrition Services at Federally Qualified Health Centers Act creates a new grant program to help federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) address food insecurity among their patients. The program funds activities such as screening for food insecurity, running on‑site pantries, partnering with food banks and nutrition programs, hiring dietitians, and providing culturally relevant nutrition education. Grants are awarded competitively, and the Health Resources and Services Administration will coordinate with USDA and Medicare‑Medicaid agencies to link patients to SNAP, WIC, and other nutrition benefits. The law authorizes $100 million per year for the program from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

Key Provisions

  • Grants are offered to FQHCs to implement food‑insecurity screening tools, operate on‑site food pantries, and form partnerships with food banks, farms, and nutrition assistance programs.
  • Funding supports hiring registered dietitians and nutrition professionals and delivering culturally tailored nutrition education to patients.
  • The HHS Secretary must provide technical assistance, training, and data‑collection support to grant recipients.
  • The program must coordinate with USDA and CMS to streamline referrals and enrollment in SNAP, WIC, and other nutrition programs, and to explore Medicaid waivers and value‑based payment models for nutrition services.
  • Grant recipients are required to submit annual reports on patients served, referrals and enrollments in nutrition programs, and community partnerships.
  • The law authorizes $100 million in appropriations each fiscal year from 2027 to 2031.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Agriculture Committee

August 27, 2026

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

August 27, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Agriculture Committee

August 27, 2026

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in HouseIssued August 27, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 10171

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 27, 2026

Mr. Morelle introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To establish a supplemental food and nutrition services grant program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Improving Health Through Integrated Food and Nutrition Services at Federally Qualified Health Centers Act.

2.

Findings

The Congress finds the following:

(1)

Millions of Americans face food insecurity, which is a key driver of poor health outcomes and chronic disease.

(2)

Federally qualified health centers are uniquely positioned to integrate food and nutrition services into clinical care.

(3)

Federally qualified health centers serve populations that are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, chronic disease, and limited access to affordable, nutritious food. Addressing food access as a health intervention is essential to improving patient outcomes and reducing long-term health care costs.

3.

Supplemental food and nutrition services grant program

(a)

Establishment

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, (in this section referred to as the Secretary) shall establish a program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to Federally qualified health centers to—

(1)

implement food insecurity screening tools;

(2)

operate on-site food pantries;

(3)

partner with food banks, farms, and nutrition assistance programs;

(4)

employ registered dieticians and nutrition professionals; and

(5)

offer culturally tailored nutrition education.

(b)

Applications

To be eligible for a grant under this section, a Federally qualified health center shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(c)

Technical assistance and capacity building

The Secretary shall provide to recipients of grants under this section—

(1)

training and best practices for integrating food and nutrition services into care delivery; and

(2)

support for data collection, evaluation, and reporting.

(d)

Coordination with Federal nutrition programs

In administering the program under this section, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to—

(1)

streamline referrals and enrollment in—

(A)

the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) (in this section referred to as SNAP);

(B)

the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786) (in this section referred to as WIC); and

(C)

other nutrition programs;

(2)

encourage Medicaid waivers or demonstration projects that support nutrition services as reimbursable care; and

(3)

explore opportunities under value-based payment models to fund food and nutrition interventions.

(e)

Reporting and evaluation

As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, a Federally qualified health center shall agree to submit to the Secretary annual reports detailing—

(1)

the number of patients served by the grant;

(2)

the number of referrals to, and enrollments in, SNAP, WIC, and other nutrition programs; and

(3)

the community partnerships and resource utilization facilitated by the grant.

(f)

Federally qualified health center defined

In this section, the term Federally qualified health center has the meaning given the term in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)).

(g)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.