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HR 4971 111th Congress House Agriculture and Food Agricultural education Agricultural practices and innovations Alternative and renewable resources Census and government statistics Department of Agriculture Elementary and secondary education Executive agency funding and structure Food assistance and relief Forests, forestry, trees Fruit and vegetables Government lending and loan guarantees Nutrition and diet Pest management Poverty and welfare assistance Urban and suburban affairs and development

Greening Food Deserts Act

Introduced: June 10, 2010 Introduced by: Kaptur, Marcy Democratic · Ohio See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 7 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 18, 2010
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research.
Jun 18, 2010
Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.
Apr 30, 2010
Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.
Mar 25, 2010
Referred to House Education and Labor
Mar 25, 2010
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 25, 2010
Referred to House Agriculture
Mar 25, 2010
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Greening Food Deserts Act - Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Office of Urban Agriculture which shall coordinate Department of Agriculture (USDA) activities related to urban agriculture and nutrition.

Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to direct the Secretary to provide technical assistance in support of backyard conservation and community gardening programs involving small-scale subsistence and personal-use agriculture.

Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 regarding urban and community forestry assistance to give a priority to the production and procurement in urban areas of plant materials that are resistant to invasive species.

Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to authorize appropriations for the seniors farmers' market nutrition program.

Directs the Secretary to make loans, provide loan guarantees, and make grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for farmers' market construction and renovation.

Amends the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 to include an evaluation of state farmers' markets in each agriculture census.

Renames the Rural Energy for America Program as the Renewable Energy for America Program.

Authorizes the Secretary to make a microloan or grant available to support outreach activities for: (1) developing food production in communities not traditionally associated with agricultural production; and (2) supporting local food production and distribution.

Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to increase reimbursement rates for school lunch, breakfast, and summer food service meals consisting in whole or part of foods produced through agricultural education programs that use enrolled students to produce food and provide the food to in-house feeding programs.

Amends The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary to make eight grants each fiscal year to regional food banks or consortiums of community feeding programs for a demonstration project to produce fresh fruits and vegetables at these facilities while teaching eligible households how to engage in small-scale food production residentially or at community gardens.

What's happening now June 18, 2010

Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 5
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4971: Greening Food Deserts Act. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4971/
MLA
"H.R. 4971: Greening Food Deserts Act." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4971/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4971, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4971/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4971: Greening Food Deserts Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4971/)
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