# Plain Language Summary: Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2023

This bill creates a new federal program designed to help low-income families buy more dairy products by giving them vouchers or incentives similar to food stamps. The program would work like this: eligible families would receive extra money or credits they can use specifically to purchase milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products at grocery stores and farmers markets. The goal is to increase dairy consumption among people who might not otherwise be able to afford these nutritious foods regularly.

The program targets families who already qualify for federal food assistance programs, making it an add-on benefit rather than a completely new application process. By focusing on dairy specifically, the bill aims to boost nutrition in lower-income households while also supporting dairy farmers by increasing demand for their products. Think of it as similar to how some states run special programs that give extra vouchers for buying fresh produce—this does the same thing but for dairy items.

The bill would require the federal government to set up the infrastructure to run this program, which means establishing rules for which stores can participate, how families apply, and how the vouchers work. States would likely play a role in administering the program, similar to how they help run other food assistance initiatives. While the bill doesn't specify exactly how much money would be spent, it represents a commitment to use federal resources to make dairy products more accessible to families struggling financially, recognizing that nutrition is an important part of public health.

Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2023

Klobuchar, Amy

Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a dairy nutrition incentive program to develop and test methods to increase the purchase and consumption of dairy under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Specifically, the program must provide an incentive to SNAP benefit recipients for the purchase of naturally nutrient-rich dairy, which the bill defines to include fluid milk, yogurt, and cheese made from cow's milk. To carry out the program, USDA must enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide competitive grants to, state or local governments and nonprofit organizations for projects. The bill provides funding for the program for each fiscal year. USDA must provide for an independent evaluation of each project that measures, to the maximum extent practicable, the effect of incentives on purchases of naturally nutrient-rich dairy by SNAP recipients. Projects currently carried out by the USDA Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) program must be transitioned to the new dairy nutrition incentive program; the bill repeals the HFMI program one year after USDA certifies that the transition is complete.