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Authorizes a USDA Fresh Bucks pilot giving grant-funded state programs monthly $60 EBT disbursements for fresh produce to eligible low-income households.
Official title: To establish a pilot program in the Department of Agriculture providing certain households with a monthly payment to purchase produce, to study the effect of such payments, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 2, 2026 by Pramila Jayapal · Last progress July 2, 2026
The bill expands and simplifies short-term access to fresh produce for low-income households and supports retailers and targeted communities, but its limited benefit size, eligibility caps, state implementation burdens, data-privacy risks, and five-year pilot horizon constrain long-term reach and create uncertainty.
Low-income and SNAP households will face less paperwork and fewer interruptions because the bill treats SNAP households as income-eligible and requires auto-enrollment/opt-in, simple renewals, renewal grace periods, clear timelines, and customer support to minimize churn.
Low-income households will receive a $60 monthly benefit for 30 days to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, increasing their direct access to healthy food.
Rural and urban communities and small retailers (including farmers markets and mobile markets) will gain financial and technical support because the bill funds state onboarding and retailer support, expanding points of sale for fresh produce.
Low-income households may find the $60 monthly benefit insufficient to cover regular produce needs, limiting meaningful improvements in nutrition for many families.
Some food-insecure households in high-cost or high-AMI areas may be excluded because eligibility is limited to households at or below 80% of area median income, which can leave out needy families if AMI thresholds are set poorly.
State governments may face strain or delayed rollouts because they must meet administrative and data-reporting requirements and provide matching capacity to implement the program.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal Fresh Bucks Pilot Program run by USDA that awards grants to states to provide monthly $60 payments for buying fresh produce at participating retailers. States apply with plans to reach low-access and food-insecure areas, use EBT-card technology for disbursement, simplify enrollment (especially for SNAP households), and report program data to USDA. The law lets states use grant funds for administration, retailer technical assistance, marketing, and data collection; it sets household income limits at 80% of area median income, requires anti-churn practices and one-grantee-per-region distribution, and directs the Secretary to publish selection criteria and prefer applicants focusing on food-insecure communities.