The Secretary of Agriculture shall carry out, under such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers to be appropriate, healthy fluid milk incentive projects to develop and test methods to increase the purchase and consumption of fluid milk by members of households that receive supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits by providing an incentive for the purchase of fluid milk at the point of purchase to members of households purchasing food with supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits.
To carry out this section, the Secretary, on a competitive basis, shall enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide grants to, governmental entities or nonprofit organizations for projects that meet the purpose and selection criteria specified in this subsection.
Projects proposed in applications shall be evaluated against publicly disseminated criteria that shall incorporate a scientifically based strategy that is designed to improve diet quality and nutritional outcomes through the increased purchase of fluid milk by members of households that participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
Funds made available to carry out this section shall not be used for any project that limits the use of benefits provided under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 [7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.].
The Secretary shall provide for an independent evaluation of projects selected under this section that measures, to the maximum extent practicable, the impact on health and nutrition.
The Secretary may use funds not to exceed 7 percent of the funding provided to carry out this section to pay costs associated with evaluating the outcomes of the healthy fluid milk incentive projects.