Commissary Healthy Options and servicemember Welfare (CHOW) Act
The Commissary Healthy Options and servicemember Welfare (CHOW) Act would authorize the Department of Defense to run a short-term pilot program providing monthly food coupons to junior enlisted members for use at military commissaries. The aim is to improve access to affordable, nutritious food—particularly for those living in unaccompanied housing on installations. The pilot would occur at two installations selected based on specific criteria designed to target environments with high unaccompanied housing populations, lower dining facility use or satisfaction, and opportunities to offer healthier food options. The bill establishes how coupons would work (amount to be set by the Secretary of Defense, limited to food purchases at commissaries, with exclusions for alcohol, tobacco, and certain bottle/deposit fees), clarifies that coupons are supplementary to existing pay and meal programs, sets a one-year maximum duration for the pilot, and requires a post-pilot report to Congress evaluating usage, satisfaction, impact on commissary and dining facility use, historical dining facility metrics, and whether the program helps reduce food insecurity or expand nutritious options.
Key Points
- 1Purpose and scope: Authorizes a pilot program to provide junior enlisted members with monthly coupons to buy food at commissaries, with a focus on improving access to healthy options.
- 2Installations and selection criteria: Conduct the pilot at two installations, chosen from criteria such as unaccompanied housing presence, high enlisted-to-officer ratios, access to kitchens, nutritious food options at commissaries, dining facility usage/satisfaction metrics, and proximity to unaccompanied housing.
- 3Coupon details: Secretaries of Defense determine the coupon amount; coupons may only be used for food at commissaries and cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, or excessive deposit fees related to returnable containers.
- 4Supplemental nature: Coupons are intended to supplement—not replace—the basic allowance for subsistence (BAS) and any meals/rations in kind to which a member is eligible.
- 5Duration: The pilot may run for up to one year from its commencement.
- 6Reporting requirements: After termination, the Secretary must deliver a report to the congressional defense committees within 90 days, including usage, member feedback, impact on commissary and dining facility usage, historical dining metrics, and assessment of effects on food insecurity and availability of nutritious options.
- 7Definitions: Clarifies terms such as “coupon,” “food,” and “congressional defense committees.”