US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

7 U.S.C. § 7501

Definitions

In this chapter:
(1)

Additional commodities

section 7515 of this titleThe term “additional commodities” means commodities made available under in addition to the commodities made available under sections 7502 and 7507 of this title.

(2)

Average monthly number of unemployed persons

The term “average monthly number of unemployed persons” means the average monthly number of unemployed persons in each State during the most recent fiscal year for which information concerning the number of unemployed persons is available, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.

(3)

Eligible recipient agency

The term “eligible recipient agency” means a public or nonprofit organization that—
(A)
administers—
(i)
an emergency feeding organization;
(ii)
a charitable institution (including a hospital and a retirement home, but excluding a penal institution) to the extent that the institution serves needy persons;
(iii)
a summer camp for children, or a child nutrition program providing food service;
(iv)
42 U.S.C. 3001 a nutrition project operating under the Older Americans Act of 1965 ( et seq.), including a project that operates a congregate nutrition site and a project that provides home-delivered meals; or
(v)
a disaster relief program;
(B)
has been designated by the appropriate State agency, or by the Secretary; and
(C)
has been approved by the Secretary for participation in the program established under this chapter.
(4)

Emergency feeding organization

The term “emergency feeding organization” means a public or nonprofit organization that administers activities and projects (including the activities and projects of a charitable institution, a food bank, a food pantry, a hunger relief center, a soup kitchen, or a similar public or private nonprofit eligible recipient agency) providing nutrition assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress through the provision of food to needy persons, including low-income and unemployed persons.

(5)

Food bank

The term “food bank” means a public or charitable institution that maintains an established operation involving the provision of food or edible commodities, or the products of food or edible commodities, to food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, or other food or feeding centers that, as an integral part of their normal activities, provide meals or food to feed needy persons on a regular basis.

(6)

Food pantry

The term “food pantry” means a public or private nonprofit organization that distributes food to low-income and unemployed households, including food from sources other than the Department of Agriculture, to relieve situations of emergency and distress.

(7)

Poverty line

section 9902(2) of title 42The term “poverty line” has the meaning provided in .

(8)

Soup kitchen

The term “soup kitchen” means a public or charitable institution that, as an integral part of the normal activities of the institution, maintains an established feeding operation to provide food to needy homeless persons on a regular basis.

(9)

Total value of additional commodities

The term “total value of additional commodities” means the actual cost of all additional commodities that are paid by the Secretary (including the distribution and processing costs incurred by the Secretary).

(10)

Value of additional commodities allocated to each State

The term “value of additional commodities allocated to each State” means the actual cost of additional commodities allocated to each State that are paid by the Secretary (including the distribution and processing costs incurred by the Secretary).

Pub. L. 98–8, title II, § 201APub. L. 98–92, § 2(2)97 Stat. 608Pub. L. 99–198, title XV, § 156399 Stat. 1590Pub. L. 104–193, title VIII, § 871(a)110 Stat. 2343(, as added , , ; amended , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 98–897 Stat. 35section 612c of this titleThis chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983, title II of , , , which enacted this chapter and amended provisions set out as a note under . For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables.

Pub. L. 89–7379 Stat. 218section 3001 of Title 42The Older Americans Act of 1965, referred to in par. (3)(A)(iv), is , , , which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 3001 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Amendments

Pub. L. 104–1931996— amended section generally, substituting provisions containing an opening provision and pars. (1) to (10) defining “additional commodities”, “average monthly number of unemployed persons”, “eligible recipient agency”, “emergency feeding organization”, “food bank”, “food pantry”, “poverty line”, “soup kitchen”, “total value of additional commodities”, and “value of additional commodities allocated to each state” for an opening provision and pars. (1) to (6) defining “eligible recipient agencies”.

Pub. L. 99–1981985—Par. (1). inserted before semicolon at end “(including the activities and projects of charitable institutions, food banks, hunger centers, soup kitchens, and similar public or private nonprofit eligible recipient agencies) hereinafter in this chapter referred to as ‘emergency feeding organizations’ ”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 98–92, § 297 Stat. 608, , , provided in part that the amendments made by section 2 are effective .

Short Title

Pub. L. 98–8, title II, § 20197 Stat. 35Pub. L. 98–92, § 2(1)97 Stat. 608Pub. L. 101–624, title XVII, § 1772(a)(2)104 Stat. 3808

section 612c of this title“This title [enacting this chapter and amending provisions set out as a note under ] may be cited as the ‘Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983’, and is hereinafter in this title referred to as ‘this Act’.”
, , , as amended by , , ; , , , provided that:

Food Supply Chain and Agriculture Pandemic Response

Pub. L. 117–2, title I, § 1001135 Stat. 10

“(a)

Appropriation .—

In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture for fiscal year 2021, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $4,000,000,000, to remain available until expended, to carry out this section.
“(b)

Use of Funds .—

The Secretary of Agriculture shall use the amounts made available pursuant to subsection (a)—
“(1)
to purchase food and agricultural commodities;
“(2)
to purchase and distribute agricultural commodities (including fresh produce, dairy, seafood, eggs, and meat) to individuals in need, including through delivery to nonprofit organizations and through restaurants and other food related entities, as determined by the Secretary, that may receive, store, process, and distribute food items;
“(3)
to make grants and loans for small or midsized food processors or distributors, seafood processing facilities and processing vessels, farmers markets, producers, or other organizations to respond to COVID–19, including for measures to protect workers against COVID–19; and
“(4)
to make loans and grants and provide other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency.
“(c)

Animal Health.—

“(1)

COVID– animal surveillance 19.—

The Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct monitoring and surveillance of susceptible animals for incidence of SARS–CoV–2.
“(2)

Funding .—

Out of the amounts made available under subsection (a), the Secretary shall use $300,000,000 to carry out this subsection.
“(d)

Overtime Fees.—

“(1)

Small establishment; very small establishment definitions .—

The terms ‘small establishment’ and ‘very small establishment’ have the meaning given those terms in the final rule entitled ‘Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems’ published in the Federal Register on (61 Fed. Reg. 38806).
“(2)

Overtime inspection cost reduction .—

7 U.S.C. 2219a21 U.S.C. 69521 U.S.C. 46821 U.S.C. 105321 U.S.C. 60121 U.S.C. 45121 U.S.C. 1031Notwithstanding section 10703 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (), the Act of (), section 25 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (), and section 24 of the Egg Products Inspection Act (), and any regulations promulgated by the Department of Agriculture implementing such provisions of law and subject to the availability of funds under paragraph (3), the Secretary of Agriculture shall reduce the amount of overtime inspection costs borne by federally-inspected small establishments and very small establishments engaged in meat, poultry, or egg products processing and subject to the requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act ( et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act ( et seq.), or the Egg Products Inspection Act ( et seq.), for inspection activities carried out during the period of fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
“(3)

Funding .—

Out of the amounts made available under subsection (a), the Secretary shall use $100,000,000 to carry out this subsection.”
, , , provided that: