Congress funds grocery stores in food deserts—with strings attached
S. 1176 — Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act · Filed by Mark Warner (D-VA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 27, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a federal tax credit and grant program to incentivize grocery stores, food banks, and mobile markets to open or expand in food deserts—low-income areas where residents lack access to fresh food. Grocery stores get a 15% tax credit on construction costs; food banks and mobile markets get grants covering 10–15% of their costs. The program requires certification and includes a 5-year clawback if providers fail to maintain service.
Why we flagged it
The bill is fundamentally a targeted subsidy—using tax credits and grants—to address food desert market failure. It is not deregulation, not a carve-out for a specific company, but a public investment in food access infrastructure in underserved areas.
What the text implies
- The 35% grocery-sales threshold for 'grocery store' definition may exclude some convenience stores or dollar stores that sell limited fresh food, potentially narrowing which retailers qualify for incentives.
- The 5-year recapture provision creates ongoing compliance burden and risk for small nonprofits and mobile vendors; failure to meet service hours or location requirements triggers tax clawback.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
grocery store operators and chains; nonprofit food banks; mobile market operators