FOOD for Health Act

Food is Medicine pilot grants

This bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture, with the Health and Human Services Secretary, to set up a competitive Food is Medicine pilot within two years. Grants would fund community programs partnered with health providers to deliver medically tailored meals, grocery delivery or packaging, produce prescriptions, cooking skills training (including digital), dietary interventions, on-site emergency feeding, and participant transportation. The Secretary would prioritize projects that use local or regional foods and include registered dietitians or nutrition professionals. The Secretary would try to ensure geographic balance and equitable treatment of urban, rural, tribal, and U.S. territory communities. The bill would require an interim report to Congress within two years and a final report within six years after the pilot starts. It would authorize $20 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, but Congress would still need to appropriate the funds. The bill would define covered "diet-related diseases" (for example, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, mental illness) and define eligible "Food is Medicine" programs as community organizations working with health care providers.