# Understanding the Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2025

This bill creates a new program to help low-income elderly people in rural areas get food assistance delivered directly to their homes. Right now, seniors who qualify for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program—which provides free groceries to eligible low-income people—often have to pick up their food at a distribution center. For elderly people in remote rural areas, this can be difficult or impossible, especially if they don't drive, have mobility problems, or live far from the nearest pickup location. This bill addresses that problem by funding home delivery services.

The program works by giving grants to state agricultural agencies, which then distribute the money to local organizations that can actually deliver the food. Each state can receive up to $4 million per year, or an amount based on how many seniors they currently serve in the program—whichever is smaller. The money can be used to pay for delivery trucks, hire drivers and staff, and let people know about the service. The bill specifically prioritizes rural areas where seniors are most isolated and have the hardest time accessing food assistance.

The bill is essentially a three-year pilot program, with $10 million authorized per year from 2026 through 2028. States that receive grants have to report back on how well it's working—how many seniors got food delivered, how much it costs per delivery, and what they learned about making the program better. This information will help determine whether home delivery should become a permanent part of how food assistance reaches elderly Americans in rural communities.

Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2025

Nunn, Zachary

Delivering for Rural Seniors Act of 2025This 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).&nbsp;As background,&nbsp;the&nbsp;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<ul><li>transportation and distribution of commodities to CSFP participants,</li><li>staffing required to operate home delivery services, and</li><li>home delivery outreach to CSFP participants or potential participants.</li></ul>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.