Opt for Health with SNAP, Close the Fruit and Vegetable Gap (OH, SNAP) Act

What it does

If Congress passes it, the Opt for Health with SNAP, Close the Fruit and Vegetable Gap Act (OH, SNAP) would significantly expand the successful Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), which incentivizes low-income recipients to consume fruits and vegetables.

GusNIP directly supports healthy food access amongst nutrition-insecure populations, by funding state/local governments and non-profits to provide point-of-sale incentives for SNAP recipients to purchase fruits and vegetables. For example, in some places participants are given a dollar-for-dollar match in SNAP when they purchase fresh produce, doubling their buying power.

In addition to significant health benefits, GusNIP has substantial positive economic impacts, particularly for fruit and vegetable farmers, who benefit from reliable access to expanded local markets.

This bill would also eliminate the local cost share requirement, which has prevented some smaller organizations from being able to apply for and sustain the program.

Who supports this bill?

The OH, SNAP Act is a bicameral bill, which means it has some support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senator Cory Booker and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester introduced the bill. In the Senate, this bill is referred to as S.2015 and these Senators are already supporting the bill. In the House, this bill is referred to as H.R.4149 and these Representatives are already supporting the bill.

This bill is endorsed by dozens of organizations, including Fair Food Network.

Want to support this bill?

If your Senators and House Representative aren’t already on the list of cosponsors for the bill:

• Ask your two Senators to “cosponsor the Opt for Health with SNAP, Close the Fruit and Vegetable Gap Act, S.2015.”
• Ask your House Representative to “cosponsor the Opt for Health with SNAP, Close the Fruit and Vegetable Gap Act, H.R.4149.”

If your elected officials are already supporting this bill, you can always contact them to thank them and help spread the word among your networks.

Resources

If you’d like to learn more about the Family Farmer and Rancher Tax Fairness Act, you can:

• Find instructions for calling or writing your Senators and Representative (tip: enter your address)
• Track the bill’s progress on Congress.gov or GovTrack
• Learn why lawmakers are supporting this bill (Senator Cory Booker’s press release)
• Read the full bill text

See more bills worthy of your support in the 2023 Farm Bill.