The Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005

The Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005 was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives during the 109th Congress. On May 25, 2005 Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced S. 1120. The following day, Representatives Tom Osborne (R-NE-3) and Jim McGovern (D-MA-3) introduced companion legislation, H.R. 2717. This legislation would strengthen our nation's commitment to ending the scourge of hunger in this country and empower local groups to work together on solutions that fit the circumstances in their communities.

Bread for the World worked with America's Second Harvest: The Nation's Food Bank Network, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and other anti-hunger groups to advocate for the bill's passage. Those efforts garnered 45 cosponsors in the Senate and 165 cosponsors in the House. The bill passed the Senate on December 8, 2006, on the last day of the 109th Congress. The legislation was not considered by the House before it adjourned.

The Hunger-Free Communities Act would:

Renew the commitment of our nation's leaders to the goal of cutting food insecurity in the United States.

• Reaffirm the goal of ending hunger in the United States.
  
  
• Require the Secretary of Agriculture to issue a report on progress toward these goals.

Strengthen the efforts of local and statewide groups and programs that provide food, action, or outreach to help people overcome hunger at a local level.

• Create a grant program to increase federal funding available to community-based anti-hunger organizations that: 
  
  
• Authorizes $25 million for local groups that work together to assess, plan and implement local strategies to end hunger;
  
  
• Authorizes $20 million for emergency feeding organizations to improve their infrastructure and expand their capacity to distribute
  food to hungry people; and,
  
  
• Authorizes $5 million for national and regional groups to provide training and technical assistance to community-based anti-hunger organizations.