HB 1096 — An Act amending Title 3 (Agriculture) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program and the Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program Account; and providing for research on Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program.

PRINTER'S NO.   1191

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1096
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY PASHINSKI, GIRAL, HILL-EVANS, KHAN, SANCHEZ,
        HADDOCK, SCHLOSSBERG, HOHENSTEIN, HARKINS, FREEMAN, FLEMING,
        DEASY, KENYATTA, KINKEAD, PROBST, HOWARD, BURGOS, RABB,
        MAYES, SHUSTERMAN, FIEDLER, GUENST, STEELE AND CEPEDA-
        FREYTIZ, MARCH 31, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
        MARCH 31, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 3 (Agriculture) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 2      Statutes, establishing the Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program
 3      and the Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program Account; and
 4      providing for research on Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.    Title 3 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
 8   is amended by adding a chapter to read:
 9                                CHAPTER 110
10                      PENNSYLVANIA FOOD BUCKS PROGRAM
11   Sec.
12   11001.   Scope of chapter.
13   11002.   Declaration of purpose.
14   11003.   Definitions.
15   11004.   Establishment of program.
16   11005.   Administration of program.
17   11006.   Establishment of account.
 1   11007.   Use of available money for program.
 2   11008.   Regulations.
 3   § 11001.    Scope of chapter.
 4      This chapter relates to the Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program.
 5   § 11002.    Declaration of purpose.
 6      The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
 7            (1)   The purpose of this chapter is to establish the
 8      Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program as a nutrition incentive
 9      program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
10      recipients to purchase eligible fruits and vegetables at
11      eligible food retailers.
12            (2)   Benefit incentive programs similar to the
13      Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program have successfully increased
14      the purchase of fruits and vegetables, increasing nutritious
15      eating and supporting fruit and vegetable farmers.
16            (3)   Enacting this chapter will provide the Commonwealth
17      with specific research into best practices to maximize the
18      effectiveness of nutrition incentive programs and measure
19      their impact on Pennsylvania farmers and retailers.
20   § 11003.    Definitions.
21      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
22   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
23   context clearly indicates otherwise:
24      "Account."    The Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program Account
25   established under section 11006(a) (relating to establishment of
26   account).
27      "Benefit incentive."    The financial or benefit reward for a
28   SNAP recipient when the SNAP recipient purchases an eligible
29   fruit or vegetable at an eligible food retailer as determined by
30   the grantee.

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 1      "Eligible food retailer."     A SNAP-authorized site or food
 2   vendor. The term may include a farmer's market, corner store,
 3   grocery store or supermarket that redeems SNAP benefits.
 4      "Eligible fruit or vegetable."       A fruit or vegetable that
 5   meets the criteria specified in the definition of "food" in 7
 6   U.S.C. § 2012(k) (relating to definitions). The term may include
 7   a fruit or vegetable whether fresh, canned, dried or frozen
 8   whole or cut without added sugars, fats, oils or salt.
 9      "Grantee."    A Pennsylvania nonprofit organization that
10   qualifies for an exemption from taxation under 26 U.S.C. §
11   501(c)(3) (relating to exemption from tax on corporations,
12   certain trusts, etc.) selected by the department to administer
13   the program under section 11005(b) (relating to administration
14   of program).
15      "Program."    The Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program established
16   under section 11004 (relating to establishment of program).
17      "SNAP."     The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
18   established under 7 U.S.C. Ch. 51 (relating to Supplemental
19   Nutrition Assistance Program).
20   § 11004.    Establishment of program.
21      The Pennsylvania Food Bucks Program is established within the
22   department.
23   § 11005.    Administration of program.
24      (a)     Administration.--The grantee selected by the department
25   under subsection (b) shall administer the program for a period
26   of no less than two years.
27      (b)     Selection of grantee.--The department shall develop
28   eligibility criteria and an application process to select a
29   grantee, who shall meet all of the following criteria:
30            (1)   Has demonstrated success in administering healthy

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 1      food incentive programming.
 2            (2)   Is able to apply for a Federal large-scale project
 3      grant under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public
 4      Law 115-334, 132 Stat. 4490) through the Gus Schumacher
 5      Nutrition Incentive Program.
 6      (c)     Program guidelines.--The grantee, in conjunction with
 7   the department, shall develop and establish program standards
 8   and incentive criteria for the program, including all of the
 9   following requirements:
10            (1)   The mechanism for delivering benefit incentives
11      under the program shall be determined by the grantee in
12      consultation with eligible food retailers.
13            (2)   The grantee shall provide a benefit incentive of no
14      less than 40¢ to a SNAP recipient for every $1 of SNAP
15      benefits redeemed by the SNAP recipient on eligible fruits or
16      vegetables at eligible food retailers.
17      (d)     Program evaluation.--The grantee shall evaluate the
18   program on a biennial basis and post a report with the findings
19   of the evaluation on a publicly accessible Internet website and
20   submit the report to the department and the General Assembly.
21   The grantee shall include all of the following information in
22   the report:
23            (1)   The amount of money used for benefit incentives.
24            (2)   The geographic distribution and amount of money
25      dispersed at the county level.
26            (3)   A list of each participating eligible food retailer.
27   § 11006.    Establishment of account.
28      (a)     Establishment of account.--The Pennsylvania Food Bucks
29   Program Account is established as a restricted account in the
30   General Fund and shall be used exclusively for the program in

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 1   accordance with this chapter. Money in the account is
 2   appropriated on a continuing basis to the department for the
 3   purposes of this chapter.
 4      (b)     Supplements to account.--In addition to money
 5   appropriated to the department for the program, the department
 6   may also accept gifts, donations, legacies and other revenues,
 7   including Federal appropriations, for deposit into the account.
 8   § 11007.    Use of available money for program.
 9      The grantee shall use money available for the program for the
10   following purposes:
11            (1)   Distributing no less than 60% of the money awarded
12      to partner organizations or directly to SNAP recipients for
13      purchasing eligible fruits or vegetables at eligible food
14      retailers.
15            (2)   Implementing, promoting, evaluating and making
16      recommendations to improve the program and conduct the report
17      under section 11005(d) (relating to administration of
18      program).
19   § 11008.    Regulations.
20      The department may promulgate regulations to implement this
21   chapter.
22      Section 2.     This act shall take effect in 120 days.




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