SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1046        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 36

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Eileen M. Donoghue

_________________

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 establishing the healthy incentives program.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Eileen M. Donoghue

First Middlesex

 

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/24/2017

Kevin G. Honan

17th Suffolk

1/26/2017

Daniel M. Donahue

16th Worcester

1/27/2017

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

1/31/2017

Aaron Vega

5th Hampden

1/31/2017

Diana DiZoglio

14th Essex

1/31/2017

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

2/1/2017

David M. Nangle

17th Middlesex

2/2/2017

Rady Mom

18th Middlesex

2/3/2017

Thomas A. Golden, Jr.

16th Middlesex

2/3/2017

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/8/2017


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1046        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 36

By Ms. Donoghue, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 36) of Eileen M. Donoghue, Denise Provost, Kevin G. Honan, Daniel M. Donahue and other members of the General Court for legislation to establish the healthy incentives program.  Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 69 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act establishing the healthy incentives program.

 

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

Chapter 18 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 30 the following section:

Section 31. The department shall establish a healthy incentives program to improve the dietary and health status of households eligible for or participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

Subject to appropriation, the department shall increase the purchasing power of households participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program by providing an incentive program that enhances the benefit to participating households. The enhanced benefit shall be a minimum of 30 cents per dollar spent on targeted fruits and vegetables, to be determined by the department in consultation with the department of public health and the department of agricultural resources. All households participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program shall be eligible for the incentive.

The program shall be available at all retailers that accept supplemental nutritional assistance program benefits, including, but not limited to grocery stores and supermarkets, corner stores and bodegas, farmers markets, mobile markets, community-supported agriculture, and farm stands. The department may determine the eligible modes for processing the enhanced benefit, and shall seek to utilize existing methods of redeeming nutritional benefits, including electronic benefit transfer systems, token systems, and mobile loyalty and incentive platforms.

The department shall prepare and submit to the Governor, the Joint Committee on Public Health, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, an annual report that includes the impact of on appropriate health, nutrition, and associated behavioral outcomes among households participating in the program.