SENATE DOCKET, NO. 63        FILED ON: 1/10/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 85

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Anne M. Gobi

_________________

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.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester and Hampshire

 

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

1/23/2023

Jacob R. Oliveira

Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester

1/23/2023

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

1/30/2023

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/30/2023

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

1/30/2023

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

1/30/2023

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

1/30/2023

Paul W. Mark

Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire

1/30/2023

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

2/1/2023

Mark C. Montigny

Second Bristol and Plymouth

2/1/2023

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

2/2/2023

Michael J. Soter

8th Worcester

2/2/2023

Patrick M. O'Connor

First Plymouth and Norfolk

2/7/2023

John C. Velis

Hampden and Hampshire

2/7/2023

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

2/7/2023

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

2/7/2023

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

2/14/2023

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

2/14/2023

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/14/2023

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/23/2023

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

2/23/2023

Walter F. Timilty

Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol

2/23/2023

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex

2/23/2023

Ryan C. Fattman

Worcester and Hampden

2/27/2023

Carlos González

10th Hampden

3/1/2023

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

3/2/2023

Paul R. Feeney

Bristol and Norfolk

3/6/2023

Adam Gomez

Hampden

3/6/2023

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

4/14/2023

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

5/9/2023

Pavel Payano

First Essex

2/1/2024


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 63        FILED ON: 1/10/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 85

By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 85) of Anne M. Gobi, Joanne M. Comerford, Jacob R. Oliveira, Hannah Kane 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 SENATE, NO. 108 OF 2021-2022.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

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.