← Back to Bills
H.R. 10680House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Food Access in Community Health Centers Act of 2026

Sponsored by George LatimerRep. George Latimer (D-NY)
Introduced October 1, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated October 6, 2026 at 5:44 AM UTC

The Food Access in Community Health Centers Act of 2026 directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a grant program that helps community health centers improve food access for their patients. Within one year of enactment, the program will award competitive grants—up to $500,000 each—to partnerships between health centers and nonprofit emergency‑feeding organizations. The goal is to fund projects that provide on‑site or mobile food distribution and cover related costs, and the program’s impact must be reported publicly after two years and each year thereafter.

Key Provisions

  • HHS must establish a grant program within one year to support food‑access projects at community health centers.
  • Grants are awarded competitively to eligible partnerships—defined as a community health center working with a nonprofit emergency‑feeding operation.
  • Funded projects can create a physical food‑distribution space at or near the health center, provide a scheduled food‑service vehicle, or cover costs for procurement, transport, storage, and distribution of food.
  • Each grant may not exceed $500,000.
  • The Secretary must publish an evaluation report on the program’s effectiveness and its impact on patient food insecurity two years after enactment and annually thereafter.

Legislative Activity

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

1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

October 1, 2026

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

October 1, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

October 1, 2026

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in HouseIssued October 1, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 10680

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 1, 2026

Mr. Latimer (for himself, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Bynum, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. García of Illinois, Ms. Norton, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. McBride, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, and Mr. Torres of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant program to facilitate food access in community health centers, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Food Access in Community Health Centers Act of 2026.

2.

Grant program to facilitate food access in community health centers

(a)

In general

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a grant program (in this section referred to as the Program) to facilitate food access in community health centers.

(b)

Grant authority

In carrying out the Program, the Secretary may make grants on a competitive basis to eligible partnerships in accordance with this section.

(c)

Applications

To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an eligible partnership shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary determines appropriate, including, at a minimum, a description of a project described in subsection (d) proposed to be carried out with such grant.

(d)

Eligible projects

The Secretary may make a grant under the Program only for a project that—

(1)

provides a physical space in or adjacent to a community health center for the operation of a location that makes food available;

(2)

provides a vehicle that makes food available—

(A)

on the premises of a community health center; and

(B)

according to a defined schedule; or

(3)

assists with costs related to the operation of a physical space described in paragraph (1) or a vehicle described in paragraph (2), including any costs related to the procurement, transportation, storage, or distribution of food.

(e)

Maximum award

A grant awarded to an eligible partnership under the Program may not exceed $500,000.

(f)

Reporting required

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall make publicly available a report that includes—

(1)

an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Program;

(2)

an analysis of the impact of the Program on the food insecurity of patients of community health centers; and

(3)

recommendations to improve the Program.

(g)

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Community health center

The term community health center has the meaning given the term Federally-qualified health center in section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d).

(2)

Eligible partnership

The term eligible partnership means a community health center and an emergency feeding operation that partner together with respect to a project described in subsection (d).

(3)

Emergency feeding operation

The term emergency feeding operation means a public or private nonprofit organization that administers activities and projects (including the activities and projects of a charitable institution, a food bank, a food pantry, a hunger relief center, a soup kitchen, or a similar public or private nonprofit organization) that make food available.