Food Stamp Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act of 1999 (Introduced in the Senate)

S 1307 IS

106th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1307

To amend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to permit participating households to use food stamp benefits to purchase nutritional supplements providing vitamins or minerals, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 30, 1999

Mr. HARKIN (for himself, Mr. HATCH, and Mr. MCCONNELL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To amend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to permit participating households to use food stamp benefits to purchase nutritional supplements providing vitamins or minerals, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Food Stamp Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act of 1999'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--

(1) the dietary patterns of Americans do not result in nutrient intakes that fully meet recommended dietary allowances of vitamins and minerals;

(2) children in low-income families and the elderly often fail to achieve adequate nutrient intakes from diet alone;

(3) pregnant women have particularly high nutrient needs, which they often fail to meet through diet alone;

(4)(A) scientific studies show that nutritional supplements that contain folic acid (a B vitamin) can prevent as many as 60 to 80 percent of neural tube birth defects;

(B) the Public Health Service, in September 1992, recommended that all women of childbearing age who are capable of becoming pregnant should consume at least 0.4 of a milligram of folic acid per day for the purpose of reducing the risk of having a pregnancy affected with spina bifida or other neural tube birth defects; and

(C) the Food and Drug Administration has approved a health claim for folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects;

(5) infants who do not receive adequate intakes of iron may be somewhat impaired in mental and behavioral development; and

(6) scientific evidence indicates that increasing intake of specific nutrients over an extended period of time protects against diseases or conditions such as osteoporosis, cataracts, cancer, and heart disease.

SEC. 3. USE OF FOOD STAMPS TO PURCHASE VITAMINS AND MINERALS.

Section 3(g)(1) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2012(g)(1)) is amended by striking `or food product' and inserting `, food product, or nutritional supplement providing a vitamin or mineral'.