This bill creates a new tax credit and grant program designed to bring healthy food options to areas that currently lack access to fresh groceries. These underserved areas, called "food deserts," are typically low-income neighborhoods where people live far from any grocery store—more than a mile away in cities or more than 10 miles away in rural areas.

The program offers two main types of financial help. First, it provides tax credits to businesses that build new grocery stores or renovate existing ones in food deserts, covering up to 15% of construction costs for new stores and 10% for renovations. Second, it gives grants to nonprofits that operate food banks and mobile markets (like farmers markets and mobile grocery trucks) in these underserved areas, covering up to 15% of construction costs for permanent food banks and 10% of annual operating costs for temporary markets. Mobile market operators can receive grants for up to 10 years.

To qualify, grocery stores must sell fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy, and deli items as at least 35% of their sales. Food banks and mobile markets must operate in certified food deserts and meet specific requirements—for example, farmers markets need to operate at least 10 hours per week during daylight hours. The government will track which areas qualify as food deserts using existing data and will update this information yearly as new food retailers open. This program aims to make nutritious food more accessible to millions of Americans living in low-income communities where healthy options are currently hard to find.