The National Commission on Hunger was formed to “(1) provide policy recommendations to Congress and the Secretary [of Agriculture] to more effectively use existing programs and funds of the Department of Agriculture to combat domestic hunger and food insecurity; and (2) develop innovative recommendations to encourage public-private partnerships, faith-based sector engagement, and community initiatives to reduce the need for government nutrition assistance programs, while protecting the safety net for the most vulnerable members of society.” The Commission was established as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-76), passed by Congress and signed by the President in January 2014.
Section 743 of the act establishes a 10-member National Commission on Hunger, in addition to obligating funds for a tax-exempt private-sector organization with expertise in domestic hunger affairs to conduct an assessment of the existing and prospective scope of domestic hunger and food insecurity. This assessment is publicly available here.
The full text of Section 743 (the Commission’s legislative mandate) is included below.
SEC. 743. (a)
(1) There is hereby appropriated $1,000,000 to conduct an assessment of the existing (as of the date of the enactment of this Act) and prospective scope of domestic hunger and food insecurity in accordance with this section.
(2) The Secretary of Agriculture shall select, through a competitive process, and enter into an agreement with an independent, private-sector entity that is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code, that has recognized credentials and expertise in domestic hunger affairs to—
(A) conduct the assessment required under subsection (a); and (B) provide technical expertise to the National Commission on Hunger established under subsection (b).
(3) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the entity selected in accordance with paragraph (2) shall submit to the President and Congress and make publicly available a report containing the assessment required under this subsection and any policy recommendations that such entity considers appropriate.
SEC. 743. (b)
(1) There is established a commission to be known as the “National Commission on Hunger“ (in this section referred to as the “Commission“).
(2) The Commission shall—
(A) provide policy recommendations to Congress and the Secretary to more effectively use existing (as of the date of the enactment of this Act) programs and funds of the Department of Agriculture to combat domestic hunger and food insecurity; and
(B) develop innovative recommendations to encourage public-private partnerships, faith-based sector engagement, and community initiatives to reduce the need for government nutrition assistance programs, while protecting the safety net for the most vulnerable members of society.
(3) The Commission shall be composed of 10 members, of whom—
(A) 3 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(B) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;
(C) 3 members shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; and
(D) 2 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.