WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure stable and increased federal funding for emergency food banks that distribute the food to communities throughout the state.

As members of the House Agriculture Committee, Reps. Lujan Grisham and Davis help draft the Farm Bill, which dedicates money for food purchases, along with $100 million a year for food banks to distribute food to communities. But the distribution money is usually whittled down to about $50 million a year, forcing organizations to look for other sources of money.

The Food Bank Assistance Act would make that $100 million mandatory, and would increase the mandatory funding for Emergency Food Assistance Program food purchases to $500 million.

"Food banks throughout the country have to divert private donations to support the cost of storing and distributing foods to communities," Rep. Lujan Grisham said. "In every case, this means that the food bank is unable to use this money to improve programs and services for their clients, or increase the purchase of fresh locally grown foods to augment the quality and variety of foods available.

"If we fully fund and make the transportation funding mandatory, food banks will no longer have to scrounge to make up the difference every year," Rep. Lujan Grisham said.

"Every day, food banks across the country help those who need it the most in our communities," said Rep. Davis. "The Food Bank Assistance Act will ensure they have stable federal funding to use for transportation and storage. This will allow food banks to use private donations to improve services and help even more people."

The legislation is supported by Feeding America, a national hunger relief organization.

New Mexico currently receives about $2.2 million from the federal government for food purchases. The state receives about $425,000 through TEFAP for administration costs, which can be used toward transportation and storage costs.

Organizations like Roadrunner Food Bank have to make up the difference to serve isolated communities like Albuquerque's Pajarito Mesa, where nearly 1,000 households benefit each year.