Veterans Gardens Employment and Opportunity Act

Veterans Gardens Employment and Opportunity Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to award grants to eligible entities to establish gardens that are fully operated by veterans and are designed to produce food that can be sold to individuals, schools, and restaurants through farmers' markets or otherwise.

Gives priority to entities seeking to establish a garden located on, or convenient to, the grounds of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3905 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3905

   To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants for the 
  establishment of veterans gardens that are operated by veterans and 
designed to produce food that can be sold to individuals, schools, and 
                              restaurants.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2012

   Mr. Baca introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants for the 
  establishment of veterans gardens that are operated by veterans and 
designed to produce food that can be sold to individuals, schools, and 
                              restaurants.

    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 cited as the ``Veterans Gardens Employment and 
Opportunity Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS GARDENS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
            (1) According to the Department of Labor, veteran 
        unemployment has increased to more than twice the national 
        average, with disabled veteran unemployment being even higher.
            (2) Nearly 70 percent of all farmers in the United States 
        are over the age of 55, while only four percent are under the 
        age of 35.
            (3) It is estimated that the United States will need at 
        least one million new farmers in the next decade to meet the 
        agricultural demands of the United States.
            (4) Programs that train returning veterans with farming and 
        gardening skills have proven effective at providing employment 
        opportunities for veterans, while also enabling many veterans 
        to become successful, sustainable farmers.
    (b) Authority.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall award grants to 
eligible entities for the establishment of gardens that are fully 
operated by veterans and are designed to produce food that can be sold 
to individuals, schools, and restaurants through farmers markets or 
otherwise.
    (c) Eligibility.--For purposes of this section, an eligible entity 
is a nonprofit organization, corporation, or group of veterans that 
submits an application containing such information and assurances as 
the Secretary of Agriculture may require.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
of Agriculture, after consultation with the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, shall give priority to eligible entities seeking to establish 
a garden--
            (1) in a location that is on the grounds of a Department of 
        Veterans Affairs medical facility; or
            (2) at another location that the Secretary of Agriculture, 
        in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
        determines is convenient for the transportation of patients of 
        a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility from such 
        facility to the proposed garden at such location for purposes 
        of operating or tending such garden.
    (e) Matching Funds.--As a condition of receiving a grant under this 
section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall require the recipient of 
the grant to provide funds or in-kind support from non-Federal sources 
in an amount that is at least equal to the amount provided by the 
Federal Government.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2012 through 2016.
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