12 2 STA T . 11 36PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 23 4—M A Y 22 , 200 8‘ ‘ (A)lim i tedac ce s st o a f fo r da b le ,h ealth y foods, i n cl u din g fresh fruits and v egetables
‘‘( B ) a high incidence of a diet - related disease (including obesity) as com p ared to the national average; ‘‘( C ) a high rate of hunger or food insecurity; or ‘‘( D ) severe or persistent poverty .’ ’; ( 2 ) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); and ( 3 ) by inserting after subsection (g) the follo w ing
‘‘(h) HEALTHYURB A NFO O DE NTER P R IS EDE V ELOP M ENT CENTER. — ‘‘( 1 )DE F INITION OF ELI G IBLE ENTITY.— I n this subsection, the term ‘eligible entity’ means— ‘‘(A) a nonprofit organi z ation; ‘‘(B) a cooperative; ‘‘(C) a commercial entity; ‘‘(D) an agricultural producer; ‘‘(E) an academic institution; ‘‘(F) an individual; and ‘‘( G ) such other entities as the S ecretary may designate. ‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.— T he Secretary shall offer to provide a grant to a nonprofit organization to establish and support a healthy urban food enterprise development center to carry out the purpose described in paragraph (3). ‘‘(3) PU RPOSE.—The purpose of the Center is to increase access to healthy affordable foods, including locally produced agricultural products, to underserved communities. ‘‘( 4 )A C TIVITIES.— ‘‘(A) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION.—The Center shall collect, develop, and provide technical assist- ance and information to small and medium-sized agricul- tural producers, food wholesalers and retailers, schools, and other individuals and entities regarding best practices and the availability of assistance for aggregating, storing, processing, and mar k eting locally produced agricultural products and increasing the availability of such products in underserved communities. ‘‘(B) AUTHORITY TO SUBGRANT.—The Center may pro- vide subgrants to eligible entities— ‘‘(i) to carry out feasibility studies to establish businesses for the purpose described in paragraph (3); and ‘‘(ii) to establish and otherwise assist enterprises that process, distribute, aggregate, store, and market healthy affordable foods. ‘‘( 5 ) PRIORITY.—In providing technical assistance and grants under paragraph (4), the Center shall give priority to applications that include pro j ects— ‘‘(A) to benefit underserved communities; and ‘‘(B) to develop market opportunities for small and mid-sized farm and ranch operations. ‘‘( 6 ) R EPORT.—For each fiscal year for which the nonprofit organization described in paragraph (2) receives funds, the organization shall submit to the Secretary a report describing the activities carried out in the preceding fiscal year, including— ‘‘(A) a description of technical assistance provided by the Center;
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