HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1643        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 449

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Paul McMurtry

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act encouraging SNAP purchases at local community farmers markets.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

1/19/2017

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

 

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

 

James R. Miceli

19th Middlesex

 

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Second Hampden and Hampshire

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

 

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

 

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

 

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

 

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

 

Eileen M. Donoghue

First Middlesex

 

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

 

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1643        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 449

By Mr. McMurtry of Dedham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 449) of Paul McMurtry and others for legislation to authorize a farmers market healthy alternative incentive program.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3419 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act encouraging SNAP purchases at local community farmers markets.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 128 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2E the following section:-

Section 2F. (a)There shall be within the department of agriculture a farmers market healthy alternative incentive program.  The program shall provide that for every dollar of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, established pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. section 2011 hereinafter referred to as SNAP, redeemed at a farmers market by a SNAP recipient, the recipient shall receive a matching benefit of $1, up to $20 per week to purchase healthy fresh food from a farmers’ market.

For each matching benefit received from a farmers market vendor, the vendor shall be reimbursed from the Farmers Market Fund as established by this section.

For the purposes of this section “farmers' market” shall mean a public market occurring multiple times per year operating for the primary purpose of connecting and mutually benefiting Massachusetts farmers, communities and shoppers and selling items that have been produced by a local farm directly to the public.

(b) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund, to be administered by the commissioner, which shall be known as the Farmers’ Market SNAP Match Fund. The Fund shall consist of all revenues from public and private sources as appropriations, gifts, grants and donations and from the federal government as reimbursements, grants-in-aid or other receipts to further the purposes of the Fund in accordance with this section.

(c ) The department shall apply for any available federal program such as Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grants administered by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide matching benefits to be deposited in the Fund.  A farmers’ market shall have first priority for participation in such grant program. 

SECTION 2. The department of agriculture shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the program set forth in section 1.