assess, collate data with respect to, analyze, and report, on a continuous basis, the dietary and nutritional status of the people of the United States, and the trends with respect to such status (dealing with such status and trends separately in the case of preschool and school-age children, pregnant and lactating women, elderly individuals, low-income populations, blacks, Hispanics, and other groups, at the discretion of the Secretaries), the state of the art with respect to nutrition monitoring and related research, future monitoring and related research priorities, and relevant policy implications of findings with respect to such status, trends, and research;

sample representative subsets of identifiable low-income populations (such as Native Americans, Hispanics, or the homeless), and assess, analyze, and report, on a continuous basis, for a representative sample of the low-income population, food and household expenditures, participation in food assistance programs, and periods experienced when nutrition benefits are not sufficient to provide an adequate diet;

sponsor or conduct research necessary to develop uniform indicators, standards, methodologies, technologies, and procedures for conducting and reporting nutrition monitoring and surveillance;