HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4388

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 12, 2024.

The committee on Agriculture, to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3556) of Kathleen R. LaNatra relative to food security infrastructure grants, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4388) ought to pass.

For the committee,

PAUL A. SCHMID III.

        FILED ON: 2/6/2024

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4388

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act relative to food security infrastructure grants.

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 20 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 33. (a)  For the purposes of this section, the term “physical infrastructure projects” shall include, but not be limited to: (i) on-vessel based and land-based automatic processing machines; (ii) refrigerated vehicles and storage facilities; (iii) on-vessel and land-based implementations to upgrade energy efficiency, lower carbon footprints and improve operational efficiencies; (iv) wash and pack stations; (v) agricultural storage facilities; (vi) high tunnels and greenhouses; and (vii) implementations to upgrade energy efficiency, lower carbon footprints and improve operational efficiencies of irrigation, tractors and like implements.             

(b) At least 50 per cent of funds expended by the department for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program shall be awarded directly to physical infrastructure projects to benefit the commercial seafood and agricultural industries; provided, that:

(i) the number of applications submitted to the grant program for physical infrastructure projects to benefit the commercial seafood and agricultural industries is greater than or equal to 50 per cent of the total number of all applications submitted to the grant program; or 

(ii) the sum of all dollar amounts requested for physical infrastructure projects to benefit the commercial seafood and agricultural industries in applications submitted to the grant program is greater than or equal to 50 per cent of the total dollar amount of all funds made available through the grant program.

(c) If neither of the conditions set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (b) are met, the percentage of all funds awarded directly to physical infrastructure projects to benefit the commercial seafood and agricultural industries by the department for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program shall be greater than or equal to the percentage of the sum of all dollar amounts requested for physical infrastructure projects to benefit the commercial seafood and agricultural industries by applications submitted to the grant program out of the sum of all dollar amounts requested by applications submitted to the grant program.

SECTION 2. The commissioner shall establish rules and regulations that are necessary to implement section 1.