To promote improved nutrition for needy Americans, including women, infants, children, and students, by revising and enhancing Federal nutrition programs to incorporate a greater role for fruits, vegetables, and 100 percent juice products.

To promote improved nutrition for needy Americans, including women, infants, children, and students, by revising and enhancing Federal nutrition programs to incorporate a greater role for fruits, vegetables, and 100 percent juice products.

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 referred to as the `Healthy America Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds the following:

(1) The United States faces a continuing challenge in improving the quality of the Nation's diet as the economic costs of poor nutrition, which contributes to coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, 4 of the 10 leading causes of death, is significant.

(2) Consumption of a healthy diet including nutritionally rich fruit and vegetables is essential for normal growth and development, and critical to promoting health and preventing an array of chronic diseases, as an estimated 1/3 of cancer deaths could be prevented by healthy diets.

(3) Most children and adults do not meet the recommended guidelines of 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetables, with only 15 percent of elementary students consuming the recommended requirement, and 1/4 of adults.

(4) Among needy students, school nutrition programs often provide the primary opportunity for consumption of nutritionally valuable foods.

(5) Breakfast is a critical meal for children and provides the nutrition necessary to optimize their learning capacities.

(6) The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), designed to safeguard the health of needy women, infants, and children has changed little in nearly 3 decades and does not reflect many current nutritional practices. To enhance the nutritional benefits for this at-risk population, fruits and vegetables should be available under the WIC program.

(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are:

(1) To promote improved nutrition for needy Americans, including women, infants, children, and students, by revising and enhancing Federal nutrition programs to incorporate a greater role for fruits, vegetables, and 100 percent juice products.

(2) To extend, expand, and enhance Federal nutrition policies that recognize and directly encourage consumption of fruits, vegetables, and juices as critical to promoting health and preventing an array of chronic diseases.

(3) To develop nutrition policies that increase awareness and understanding of the benefits provided by fruits and vegetables with respect to disease prevention and health promotion, as fruit and vegetable consumption is an important component of a balanced diet.

(4) To elevate the Federal government's investment in nutrition program priorities to better address the significant role fruit and vegetables play in health promotion and disease prevention for the neediest Americans.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

As used in this Act--

(1) the term `fruit and vegetables' means fruits and vegetables that meet the guidelines developed by the National Cancer Institute and Produce for Better Health Foundation for the 5 A Day for Better Health program; and

(2) the term `juice' means 100 percent juice or juice concentrate, without added fat or sugar.

SEC. 4. SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM.

(a) AVAILABILITY OF FRUITS AND JUICES- Section 4(e) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(e)) is amended by adding at the end of paragraph (1)(A) the following: `The Secretary shall require that schools participating in the school breakfast program under this section shall make available fruits and 100 percent juices, regardless of menu planning options.'.

(b) COMMODITIES PURCHASE PROGRAM FOR BREAKFASTS-

(1) IN GENERAL- Section 6(c) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755(c)) is amended--

(A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and

(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph:

`(2) The value of donated foods, or cash payments made in lieu thereof, shall be 5 cents for the school breakfast program.'.

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Section 6(b) of the Richard B. Russell national School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755(b)) is amended by `and school breakfast program' after `school lunch program'.

SEC. 5. EXPANSION OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PILOT PROGRAM.

Section 18(g) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769(g)) is amended to read as follows--

`(g) FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PILOT PROGRAM-

`(1) IN GENERAL- In the school year beginning July 2004, and in each of the 5 school years thereafter, the Secretary shall carry out a pilot program in--

`(A) 25 elementary or secondary schools in each of the 50 States, and in elementary or secondary schools on 10 Indian reservations, to make available to students free fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables during the school day in 1 or more areas designated by the school; and

`(B) 25 service institutions in each of the 50 States participating in the summer food service program for children established under section 13, to make available to children free fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables during the day of operation in 1 or more areas designated by the service institution.

`(2) PUBLICITY- A school or service institution that participates in the pilot program shall widely publicize within the school or service institution the availability of free fruits and vegetables under the pilot program.

`(3) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS- A participating school or service institution may use for administrative expenses--

`(A) during the first year of participation in the pilot program, not more than 20 percent of the funds made available to the school or service institution for the year; and

`(B) during each subsequent year of participation in the pilot program, not more than 10 percent of the funds made available to the school or service institution for the year.

`(4) REPORT- Not later than May 1, 2007, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Economic Research Service, shall report to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate on the results of the pilot program.

`(5) FUNDING- The Secretary shall use not more than $75,000,000 of funds made available under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 18 U.S.C. 612c), to carry out this subsection (other than paragraph (4)).'.

SEC. 6. HEALTHY FOODS FOR HEALTHY KIDS INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAM.

Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(h) HEALTHY FOODS FOR HEALTHY KIDS INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAM-

`(1) IN GENERAL- In the school year beginning July 2004, each of the 5 school years thereafter, the Secretary, in conjunction with the National 5 A Day for Better Health program, shall carry out a Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids program to provide grants to school districts for innovative projects to increase the availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

`(2) CRITERIA FOR GRANT PROJECTS- In selecting projects to receive grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider projects which--

`(A) provide the necessary infrastructure, such as procurement, delivery, and storage efforts to enhance offerings of fruits and vegetables;

`(B) initiate or offer salad bars, prepackaged salads, and fruit cups, innovative vending options, refrigerated vending, and other creative preparation and presentation methods;

`(C) provide relevant training for school food service personnel carrying out these efforts; and

`(D) enhance education and promotion of fruit and vegetable intake;

`(E) establish school garden projects to provide an interactive, hands-on learning environment to teach fundamental nutrition concepts, foster a better understanding of where food comes from, and create opportunities for children to make healthier food choices.

`(3) EVALUATION AND REPORT- The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the results of the program and shall transmit a report to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate not later than May 1, 2007.

`(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated for carrying out this subsection $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2009.'.

SEC. 7. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM.

Section 13(f)(4) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761) is amended by adding at the end the following: `States shall, with assistance that the Secretary is authorized to provide, ensure that meals include fruit, vegetables, and 100 percent juices.'

SEC. 8. IMPROVEMENTS AND MODERNIZATION OF REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN PROGRAM.

The Secretary shall revise the regulations relating to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (established under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786)) to--

(1) update and improve the nutritional standards of food under the program;

(2) require that the food package requirements, target nutrients, and nutrient needs of participants be re-evaluated and revised at least every 10 years to reflect current nutrition science;

(3) permit program participants access to fresh fruits and vegetables;

(4) permit the purchase of juices other than from concentrate and revise packaging requirements under the program to permit the purchase of products in modern packaging, including plastic and carton containers;

(5) permit the purchase of generic branded fruits and vegetable products under the program; and

(6) include in nutrition education efforts a greater focus on promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

SEC. 9. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Section 10603 of the Farm and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 612c-4) is amended by striking `$50,000,000' and inserting `$100,000,000'.

SEC. 10. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE RESEARCH AGENDA.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop a fruit and vegetable research agenda that coordinates research between the Economic Research Service, the Food and Nutrition Service, the Agricultural Research Service and other agencies of the Department of Agriculture.

(b) COORDINATION AND GOALS- The agenda should include research on how best to promote fruit and vegetable intake to children and should be developed in coordination with the produce industry, nutrition and health organizations, school food service professionals, and other stakeholders. Research goals shall include--

(1) the impact of increased fruit and vegetable consumption toward preventing chronic diseases, including reducing obesity, diabetes, diverticulosis, cataracts, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and hypertension, and the overall benefits of whole food consumption including documentation of certain phytonutrients found in fresh produce that may help prevent such chronic diseases;

(2) the development of more effective behavior-based dietary interventions and health promotion programs to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables based on Federal dietary guidelines, including environmental influences, strategies for overcoming barriers to behavior change, and food preference development for children and adolescents; and

(3) identifying the influences on food choices and options for providing an optimal environment for making informed healthy food choices in a free-market economy, including evaluation of different methods for communicating health information.

SEC. 11. NATIONAL 5 A DAY COORDINATOR.

The Secretary shall appoint a national 5 A Day for Better Health program coordinator and 7 regional 5 A Day coordinators for each of the 7 Food and Nutrition Service regional offices to coordinate and expand the Secretary's efforts to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables.

SEC. 12. REPORT ON COMMODITY PURCHASING PROGRAM.

Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall transmit a report to the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate which shall include--

(1) an assessment of current commodity purchasing practices and how purchasing decisions are made; and

(2) recommendations for a plan of action to align such purchases with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by the Secretary and by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

SEC. 13. STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS.

It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture should establish partnerships with State departments of agriculture, State health departments, State departments of education, and other State and local organizations to improve access to and efficient distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to schools and nutrition programs.