§ 7508 — Authorization And Appropriations

(1) There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and each fiscal year thereafter for the Secretary to make available to the States to pay for the direct and indirect costs of the States related to the processing, storage, transporting, and distributing to eligible recipient agencies of commodities provided by the Secretary under this chapter and commodities secured from other sources, including commodities secured by gleaning (as defined in section 111(a) of the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 100–435)) and donated wild game. Funds appropriated under this paragraph for any fiscal year shall be allocated to the States on an advance basis, dividing such funds among the States in the same proportions as the commodities distributed under this chapter for such fiscal year are divided among the States. If a State agency is unable to use all of the funds so allocated to it, the Secretary shall reallocate such unused funds among the other States. (2) Each State shall make available to emergency feeding organizations in the State not less than 40 per centum of the funds provided as authorized in paragraph (1) that it has been allocated for a fiscal year, as necessary to pay for, or provide advance payments to cover, the direct expenses of the emergency feeding organizations for distributing commodities to needy persons, but only to the extent such expenses are actually so incurred by such organizations. As used in this paragraph, the term “direct expenses” includes costs of transporting, storing, handling, repackaging, processing, and distributing commodities incurred after they are received by the organization; costs associated with determinations of eligibility, verification, and documentation; costs of providing information to persons receiving commodities under this chapter concerning the appropriate storage and preparation of such commodities; costs involved in publishing announcements of times and locations of distribution; and costs of recordkeeping, auditing, and other administrative procedures required for participation in the program under this chapter. If a State makes a payment, using State funds, to cover direct expenses of emergency feeding organizations, the amount of such payment shall be counted toward the amount a State must make available for direct expenses of emergency feeding organizations under this paragraph. (3) States to which funds are allocated for a fiscal year under this subsection shall submit financial reports to the Secretary, on a regular basis, as to the use of such funds. No such funds may be used by States or emergency feeding organizations for costs other than those involved in covering the expenses related to the distribution of commodities by emergency feeding organizations. (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), effective January 1, 1987, to be eligible to receive funds under this subsection, a State shall provide in cash or in kind (according to procedures approved by the Secretary for certifying these in-kind contributions) from non-Federal sources a contribution equal to the difference between— (i) the amount of such funds so received; and (ii) any part of the amount allocated to the State and paid by the State— (I) to emergency feeding organizations; or (II) for the direct expenses of such organizations; (i) Except as provided in clause (ii), subparagraph (A) shall apply to States beginning on January 1, 1987. (ii) If the legislature of a State does not convene in regular session before January 1, 1987, paragraph (1) shall apply to such State beginning on October 1, 1987. (C) Funds allocated to a State under this section may, upon State request, be allocated before States satisfy the matching requirement specified in subparagraph (A), based on the estimated contribution required. The Secretary shall periodically reconcile estimated and actual contributions and adjust allocations to the State to correct for overpayments and underpayments. (5) States may not charge for commodities made available to emergency feeding organizations, and may not pass on to such organizations the cost of any matching requirements, under this chapter. (b) The value of the commodities made available under this chapter and the funds of the Corporation used to pay the costs of initial processing, packaging (including forms suitable for home use), and delivering commodities to the States shall not be charged against appropriations made or authorized under this section.