H.R. 7906 — FOOD for Health Act

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to establish not later than two years after enactment a pilot program to award competitive grants to eligible entities for Food is Medicine programs. (Food is Medicine programs, as defined, are operated by community-based organizations—such as emergency feeding operations—in partnership with health care providers to deliver food or medical nutrition therapy to participants experiencing, at risk of, or recovering from diet-related diseases, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and mental illness.) Grants may fund (1) on-site emergency feeding; (2) medically tailored packaging or delivery of groceries; (3) medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions; (4) evidence-based cooking skills training, including via digital technologies; (5) dietary or health-related interventions; and (6) participant transportation. In awarding grants, the Secretary must prioritize entities using local and regional foods or involving registered dietitians or nutrition professionals and, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure geographic diversity, equitable treatment of urban, rural, tribal, and territorial communities, and improved health outcomes. The Secretary must submit to Congress an initial report analyzing program efficiency, patient outcomes, and system costs two years after establishment and a final report six years after establishment, covering program implementation, participant criteria, targeted diseases, food strategies, medical nutrition therapy impacts, and effects on participant health (including behavioral health). This section authorizes $20 million for the program for FY2027 through FY2031.