Hirono Leads Senate Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Strengthen Program Connecting SNAP Recipients to Fresh, Local Produce

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led eight of her Senate colleagues in introducing a bill to strengthen a program connecting participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with fresh produce. The GusNIP Improvement Act of 2023 updates the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) to help existing grantees expand participation and spending, while also giving new grantees the opportunity to establish and grow their programs.

“Currently, there are over 6,500 food deserts in the U.S. where people cannot easily access nutritious food,” said Senator Hirono. “GusNIP helps thousands of people in Hawaii and across the country access fresh produce, thereby improving the health of our communities and boosting local agriculture. I am proud to introduce this legislation because every person—regardless of background, income, or geographic location—deserves access to healthy, nutritious food and produce.”

In Hawaii, GusNIP is the primary funding source for “DA BUX,” a local program that enables SNAP-EBT cardholders to receive a 50 percent discount on Hawaii-grown produce at participating grocery stores and food hubs. In March 2022, there were over 173,000 people receiving SNAP benefits in Hawaii.

GusNIP brings together stakeholders from the food and healthcare systems to improve the health and nutrition of participating households, as well as expand programs and facilitate growth in underrepresented communities. There are three competitive grant programs: (1) Nutrition Incentive Program; (2) Produce Prescription Program; and (3) National Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center Program. Since it was established in 2019, GusNIP has provided over $270 million in funding to nearly 200 projects throughout the U.S.

“Senator Hirono’s legislation brings tangible enhancements to GusNIP, helping more families afford and eat more fruits and vegetables,” said Kate Krauss, CEO at Fair Food Network. “This advances our collective journey towards increased nutrition security, supporting healthier households and bolstering income for farmers. We applaud Senator Hirono for her foresight and leadership, and we are excited to build on this legislation in the forthcoming 2023 Farm Bill.”

Specifically, the GusNIP Improvement Act would:

• Increase overall funding under the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program to $150 million per year, including:
• $15 million for the Produce Prescription program;
• $75 million for grants under a new “scaling tier”;
• $40 million (remaining funds) for standard GusNIP grants; and
• An increase of $1 million per year in funding for Technical Assistance from the current $7 million per year to $8 million per year total;
• Increase the federal share of the program from 50% to 90%, reducing burdensome match requirements that have hindered growth for many grantees;
• Allow the Secretary of Agriculture to waive matching requirements for small GusNIP projects under $100,000;
• Create a new grant tier aimed at scaling existing programs—this new tier of funding reduces competition and opens up the existing grant programs to those states, regions, and Tribes who are still working to establish and grow smaller programs; and
• Create a new grant tier aimed at scaling well-established Produce Prescription programs—under the legislation, Produce Prescription would have two buckets of funds, similar to GusNIP: one to seed new programs and one to scale existing programs.

In addition to Senator Hirono, the bill is cosponsored by Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

The full text of the bill is available here. A one page summary is available here.

Senator Hirono has championed legislation to support local farmers and secure stronger investment in the agriculture industry, while also working to ensure that communities across the country have access to healthy and fresh meals and produce. Earlier this month, Senator Hirono introduced the AuGmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-edge and Helpful (AG RESEARCH) Act, legislation to provide billions in funding to address deferred maintenance at U.S. schools of agriculture, including the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH CTAHR), and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) facilities. In May, Senator Hirono sent a letter to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), expressing her strong support for the agency’s proposed rule that would expand access to healthy, free school meals for students across the country. She also introduced the RTCP Revitalization Act, legislation to secure additional funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) Program. The program enables geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in Hawaii, Alaska, and other insular areas to receive reimbursements for costs incurred when transporting supplies such as feed, fertilizer, and equipment parts. 

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