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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 24, 2025
Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2025
This bill directs the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to award competitive grants to state agencies under a home delivery pilot program for participants in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
As background, the CSFP works to improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious Department of Agriculture foods.
Under the pilot program, a state agency must distribute grant funds to an eligible entity (i.e., a local agency or subdistributing agency) to operate projects that facilitate home delivery of commodities to CSFP participants. Grant funds may be used for costs associated with
transportation and distribution of commodities to CSFP participants,
staffing required to operate home delivery services, and
home delivery outreach to CSFP participants or potential participants.
A state agency must prioritize eligible entities that serve CSFP participants who reside in rural areas.
A state agency must also submit an annual report to FNS about the project, including best practices regarding the use of home delivery to improve the effectiveness of the CSFP.
People & committees
Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] · R–IA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 25, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-24 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would create a pilot grant program to help deliver food supplies to low-income older people through the existing Commodity Supplemental Food Program. States would compete for grants, then distribute funding to eligible agencies, prioritizing those serving rural participants. It would authorize $10 million annually for fiscal years 2026–2028, but would not itself provide that funding. States would report on deliveries, costs, and effectiveness.
(1) to award grants for the operation of projects that increase the access of low-income elderly persons to commodities through home delivery; and (2) to evaluate such projects.
The Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants to State agencies to carry out the activities described in subsection (e).
A State agency awarded a grant under this section shall distribute grant funds to eligible entities to operate projects that facilitate home delivery of commodities to participants in the commodity supplemental food program
A State agency awarded a grant under this section shall prioritize eligible entities that serve participants in the commodity supplemental food program who reside in a rural area.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028, to remain available until expended.
(1) a summary of the activities carried out under the project, including the quantity of commodities delivered, number of participants in the commodity supplemental food program served, and total number of deliveries; (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of the project, including— (A) a calculation of the average cost per delivery;
The proposed Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2025 would add a new section 5A to the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973, establishing the delivery pilot program.
This Act may be cited as the Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2025.
The Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note) is amended by inserting after section 5 the following: 5A. Commodity supplemental food program delivery pilot program
The Secretary would award grants competitively to state agencies. Applicants would have to follow the timing, format, and information requirements set by the Secretary.
(b) In general The Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants to State agencies to carry out the activities described in subsection (e).
(d) Application A State agency seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
Each state agency's grant would be capped at the smaller of $4 million or the state's Commodity Supplemental Food Program caseload at application multiplied by 60. This sets a maximum award, not a guaranteed payment.
(c) Maximum grant award A grant awarded to a State agency under this section may be in an amount not greater than the lesser of— (1) the State’s commodity supplemental food program caseload at time of application multiplied by 60; or (2) $4,000,000.
States receiving grants would have to pass the funds to eligible agencies operating home-delivery projects for program participants. Covered costs would include transportation and distribution, including services supplied by third parties; delivery staff; and outreach about home delivery to current or potential participants.
(e) Grant uses A State agency awarded a grant under this section shall distribute grant funds to eligible entities to operate projects that facilitate home delivery of commodities to participants in the commodity supplemental food program, including with respect to costs associated with— (1) transportation and distribution of commodities to participants in the commodity supplemental food program, including transportation and distribution services provided by a third party; (2) staffing required to operate home delivery services; and (3) outreach to participants or potential participants in the commodity supplemental food program with respect to home delivery.
States would have to prioritize eligible agencies serving rural participants. This is a priority requirement, rather than a requirement that every person served live in a rural area. The bill uses an existing statutory definition of rural area.
(f) Priority A State agency awarded a grant under this section shall prioritize eligible entities that serve participants in the commodity supplemental food program who reside in a rural area.
(4) Rural area The term rural area has the meaning given such term in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).
Eligible recipients of funds distributed by states would be local agencies or subdistributing agencies. The bill adopts existing federal regulatory definitions for those agencies and state agencies, and identifies the food program by reference to section 4 of the existing law.
(1) Commodity supplemental food program The term commodity supplemental food program means the program established under section 4. (2) CFR terms The terms local agency, State agency, and subdistributing agency have the meanings given such terms in section 247.1 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations). (3) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (A) a local agency; or (B) a subdistributing agency.
A state would have to report to the Secretary within 180 days after the end of the fiscal year in which it both receives a grant and distributes funds to eligible agencies. Reports would also be required in each succeeding fiscal year until the grant funds are spent.
(g) Report to the Secretary No later than 180 days after the end of the fiscal year in which a State agency is awarded a grant under this section and has distributed grant funds to eligible entities, and in each succeeding fiscal year until grant funds are expended, a State agency shall submit a report to the Secretary
State reports would describe activities, quantities delivered, participants served, and delivery counts. They would also assess effectiveness, calculate average cost per delivery, evaluate third-party services, and identify best practices for home delivery.
(1) a summary of the activities carried out under the project, including the quantity of commodities delivered, number of participants in the commodity supplemental food program served, and total number of deliveries; (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of the project, including— (A) a calculation of the average cost per delivery; and (B) an evaluation of any services provided by a third party; and (3) best practices regarding use of home delivery to improve the effectiveness of the commodity supplemental food program.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $10 million for each of fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028. This authorization would not itself supply the money. Funds provided under it would remain available until spent, rather than necessarily expiring at the end of those fiscal years.
(i) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028, to remain available until expended.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated September 25, 2026, records House introduction and referral to the House Committee on Agriculture on February 24, 2025. It also records referrals on March 28, 2025, to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture and the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-25T08:05:33Z. 2025-03-28: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture. 2025-03-28: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development. 2025-02-24: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. 2025-02-24: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-24. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No provision unrelated to the delivery pilot's main subject was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status and accompanying materials remain outside the supplied evidence.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential exception beyond the program's intended coverage and priorities was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 25, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI