America's Second Harvest Applauds Nutrition Gains in New Farm Bill

Chicago, IL -- May 8, 2002 -- With Senate passage of the 2002 Farm Bill, and a commitment by President Bush to sign the bill, broad gains will be made in federal nutrition assistance programs. There are several significant improvements in provisions that will improve the lives of people served by America's Second Harvest.

"We look forward to working with USDA and state governments to ensure that food stamps and all of the federal nutrition programs are easily accessible by the 23 million hungry Americans served by America's Second Harvest last year, " said Robert Forney, President and CEO of America's Second Harvest.

Of the nutrition program improvements in the bill, most important are the food stamp changes. Food stamps are the cornerstone of the nation's anti-hunger effort providing crucial nutrition assistance to more than 19 million low-income Americans, most of which are children. Food stamp program improvements in the farm bill include restoring food stamp eligibility for legal immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for five or more years and extending food stamp benefits to people leaving the federal cash assistance program - TANF - for five months.

Other important food stamp provisions in the bill will implement recommendations made by America's Second Harvest in its July, 2000 study of the federal food stamp program, The Red Tape Divide: State-by-State Review of Food Stamp Applications. They will allow states to simplify and streamline their application process, a critical reform that will allow many more eligible working families to participate in the program.

America's Second Harvest was also pleased with the commodity donation program improvements in the bill. The new spending will help feed hungry Americans and assist struggling farmers. America's Second Harvest food banks play a significant role in distributing most of the 300 million pounds of surplus commodities administered by the USDA every year. Increased funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) contained in the farm bill will provide $140 million per year in commodities to food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens.

"The commodity distribution and TEFAP improvements in the farm bill will help us provide more than 40 million additional meals to needy Americans each year and will also increase farm income by millions of dollars. This is a win-win for hungry Americans and the agricultural community," Forney said about this program.