SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1179 FILED ON: 2/12/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 108
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Anne M. Gobi
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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 bill:
An Act relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: |
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Anne M. Gobi | Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex |
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Hannah Kane | 11th Worcester | 2/25/2021 |
Joanne M. Comerford | Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester | 2/25/2021 |
Diana DiZoglio | First Essex | 2/25/2021 |
Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. | 12th Hampden | 2/25/2021 |
Elizabeth A. Malia | 11th Suffolk | 2/25/2021 |
Brian W. Murray | 10th Worcester | 2/25/2021 |
Michael J. Barrett | Third Middlesex | 2/25/2021 |
Paul A. Schmid, III | 8th Bristol | 2/25/2021 |
John C. Velis | Second Hampden and Hampshire | 2/28/2021 |
John Barrett, III | 1st Berkshire | 2/28/2021 |
Kimberly N. Ferguson | 1st Worcester | 2/28/2021 |
James B. Eldridge | Middlesex and Worcester | 3/5/2021 |
Michael O. Moore | Second Worcester | 3/5/2021 |
Joan B. Lovely | Second Essex | 3/5/2021 |
Brian M. Ashe | 2nd Hampden | 3/5/2021 |
Brendan P. Crighton | Third Essex | 3/10/2021 |
John J. Cronin | Worcester and Middlesex | 3/11/2021 |
Eric P. Lesser | First Hampden and Hampshire | 3/12/2021 |
Susannah M. Whipps | 2nd Franklin | 3/19/2021 |
Sal N. DiDomenico | Middlesex and Suffolk | 3/29/2021 |
Mathew J. Muratore | 1st Plymouth | 4/8/2021 |
Mary S. Keefe | 15th Worcester | 4/8/2021 |
Patrick M. O'Connor | Plymouth and Norfolk | 5/17/2021 |
Kay Khan | 11th Middlesex | 5/27/2021 |
Thomas M. Stanley | 9th Middlesex | 6/2/2021 |
Susan L. Moran | Plymouth and Barnstable | 10/28/2021 |
Walter F. Timilty | Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth | 11/16/2021 |
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1179 FILED ON: 2/12/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 108
By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 108) of Anne M. Gobi, Hannah Kane, Joanne M. Comerford, Diana DiZoglio and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. |
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4232 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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An Act relative to an agricultural 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:
SECTION 1. Chapter 128 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2E the following section:-
Section 2F. (a) The department of transitional assistance, in partnership with the department of agricultural resources and the department of public health, shall operate a healthy incentives program. The program shall provide that 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 for fruit and vegetable purchases, either fresh, canned, dried or frozen, by a SNAP recipient at a participating vendor, shall entitle the recipient to receive a matching benefit reimbursed on the recipient’s EBT card, within limits to be established by the department.
(b) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund, to be administered by the commissioner of the department of transitional assistance, which shall be known as the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Fund. The Fund shall consist of all revenues from public and private sources as appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, reimbursements from the federal government and grants-in-aid or other receipts to further the purposes of the Fund in accordance with this section.
(c) The Department of Transitional Assistance and its partners may apply for any available federal programs such as Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide matching benefits to be deposited in the Fund.
SECTION 2. The Department of Transitional Assistance shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the program set forth in section 1.