HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2013        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2389

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Orlando Ramos

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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 resolve:

Resolve establishing an advisory committee on the accessibility of fresh food retail in communities throughout the Commonwealth.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2013        FILED ON: 2/16/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2389

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1354 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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Resolve establishing an advisory committee on the accessibility of fresh food retail in communities throughout the Commonwealth.

Resolved, that an advisory committee is hereby established to examine the accessibility of fresh food retail in communities throughout the commonwealth. The advisory committee shall develop criteria to determine which communities lack adequate access to fresh food retail, particularly urban and rural communities; investigate the causes of inadequate access to fresh food retail; study the public health impact of inadequate access to fresh food retail; develop innovative strategies and recommendations to increase access to fresh food retail, including: legislation, economic incentives and financing options, improvements to transportation, public-private partnerships, pilot program(s), and the improvement of food programs already in existence. The advisory committee shall calculate the costs and potential savings of all strategies and recommendations and determine the benefits, drawbacks, and feasibility of all strategies and recommendations.

The advisory committee shall consist of 11 members, 1 of whom shall be the commissioner of the department of public health, or a designee, who shall serve as chair of the advisory committee; 1 of whom shall be the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development, or a designee; 1 of whom shall be the commissioner of the department of agricultural resources, or a designee; 2 of whom shall be the chairs of the joint committee on public health; 1 of whom shall be a nutritionist appointed by the commissioner of the department of public health; 5 of whom shall be appointed by the governor and shall include: a representative of the supermarket industry, a representative of farmers markets, a representative of the gateway cities, a representative of non-for-profit hunger relief organizations, and a representative of the Massachusetts Public Health Association.

The advisory committee shall commence no later than 90 days after enactment of this section.

The advisory committee shall report all findings, recommendations, and draft legislation to the senate and house committees on ways and means, the chairs of the joint committee on community development and small business, the chairs of the joint committee on public health, and the chairs of the joint committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities no later than 18 months after enactment of this section.

The advisory committee shall sunset upon submission of the report to the pertinent committees.