Congress quietly expands seniors' farmers market program to include maple syrup.
H.R. 293 — Making Agricultural Products Locally Essential (MAPLE) Act · Filed by Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY) · 5 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 9, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill expands the federal Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program to allow eligible seniors to use their vouchers to purchase maple syrup in addition to fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The program currently provides low-income seniors with coupons to buy fresh produce at farmers' markets; this amendment adds maple syrup as an eligible commodity.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward amendment to an existing federal nutrition program for seniors, adding a single commodity (maple syrup) to the list of eligible purchases. It is routine legislative housekeeping with a clear public-health purpose.
What the text implies
- Maple syrup producers (primarily small farms and cooperatives) may see increased demand from the program, though the scale is limited by the program's existing budget and senior population.
- The amendment does not appropriate new funds, so expansion occurs within the existing program budget—other eligible foods may see proportionally reduced purchases if seniors shift spending to maple syrup.
- State implementation may vary depending on how state agencies administer the program and whether they actively promote maple syrup as an option to eligible seniors.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Low-income seniors gain access to an additional nutritious food product (maple syrup, a source of minerals and antioxidants) through an existing federal nutrition program at no additional cost to them. The expansion is modest and directly increases the purchasing power and food options available to a vulnerable population.
Who stands to gain
- maple syrup producers and small farms
- farmers' market vendors selling maple syrup
Named in the bill
Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, 7 U.S.C. § 4402(b)(1), USDA, maple syrup producers
Where it stands
5 cosponsors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats.
- Jan 9, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 9, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Agriculture · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (308 characters) on Jun 8, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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