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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 252
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 6173
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E CONNECTICUT FOOD POL ICY COUNCIL.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-456 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 2
(a) There is established the Connecticut Food Policy Council, which 3
shall be within the Department of Agriculture for administrative 4
purposes only. 5
(b) [The] Until June 30, 2019, the council shall consist of the 6
following members: (1) One appointed by the majority leader of the 7
Senate who shall be involved in agriculture or in an agriculture 8
organization; (2) one appointed by the president pro tempore of the 9
Senate who shall be involved in an antihunger organization; (3) one 10
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall represent the 11
Cooperative Extension Service; (4) one appointed by the minority 12
leader of the House of Representatives who shall be a food retailer; (5) 13
one appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives who 14
shall be involved in agriculture or in an agriculture organization; (6) 15
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one appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives 16
who shall be a produce wholesaler; (7) the Commissioner of 17
Agriculture, or his designee; (8) the Commissioner of Administrative 18
Services, or his designee; (9) the Commissioner of Education, or his 19
designee; (10) the Commissioner of Transportation, or his designee; 20
(11) the Commissioner of Public Health, or his designee; (12) the 21
Commissioner of Social Services, or his designee; (13) the head of each 22
state department, as defined in section 4-5, who is not one of the 23
commissioners designated in subdivisions (7) to (12), inclusive, of this 24
subsection who shall be members ex officio without the right to vote; 25
and (14) the chairman of the joint standing committee of the General 26
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment 27
who shall be a member ex officio without the right to vote. The term of 28
all members appointed under this subsection shall terminate on June 29
30, 2019. 30
(c) On and after July 1, 2019, the council shall consist of the 31
following members: (1) The Commissioner of Agriculture, or a 32
designee; (2) the Commissioner of Administrative Services, or a 33
designee; (3) the Commissioner of Education, or a designee; (4) the 34
Commissioner of Transportation, or a designee; (5) the Commissioner 35
of Public Health, or a designee; (6) the Commissioner of Social 36
Services, or a designee; (7) the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, 37
or a designee; (8) the Commissioner of Economic and Community 38
Development, or a designee; (9) the Commissioner of Energy and 39
Environmental Protection, or a designee; (10) one who is a 40
representative of The University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension 41
Service, designated by the president of The University of Connecticut; 42
(11) two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 43
both of whom represent a local or state-wide food commission, council 44
or network; (12) two appointed by the president pro tempore of the 45
Senate, both of whom represent a local or state-wide food commission, 46
council or network; (13) one appointed by the majority leader of the 47
House of Representatives, who represents a local or state-wide food 48
commission, council or network; (14) one appointed by the majority 49
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leader of the Senate, who represents a local or state-wide food 50
commission, council or network; (15) one appointed by the minority 51
leader of the House of Representatives, who represents a local or state-52
wide food commission, council or network; (16) one appointed by the 53
minority leader of the Senate, who represents a local or state-wide food 54
commission, council or network; (17) one appointed by the Governor, 55
who is an agricultural producer; and (18) one appointed by the 56
Governor, who is a representative of an anti-hunger organization. 57
(d) Members of the council appointed under subsection (c) of this 58
section shall serve for three-year terms commencing on the date of 59
appointment, which for initial appointments shall be not later than 60
September 1, 2019. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing 61
authority. Any vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term 62
shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term. 63
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 4-9a, the council shall 64
elect [a chairperson] two chairpersons and a vice-chairperson from 65
among its members, provided one chairperson shall be a department 66
head and one chairperson shall be a public member. Any person 67
absent from [(A)] (1) three consecutive meetings of the commission or 68
[(B)] (2) fifty per cent of such meetings during any calendar year shall 69
be deemed to have resigned from the council, effective immediately. 70
Vacancies on the council shall be filled by the appointing authority. 71
Members of the council serve without compensation but shall, within 72
the limits of available funds, be reimbursed for expenses necessarily 73
incurred in the performance of their duties. The council shall meet as 74
often as deemed necessary by the [chairperson] chairpersons or a 75
majority of the council. 76
[(c)] (f) The council shall [: (1) Develop, coordinate and implement a 77
food system policy linking local economic development, 78
environmental protection and preservation with farming and urban 79
issues; (2) review and comment on any proposed state legislation and 80
regulations that would affect the food policy system of the state; (3)] 81
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examine food and nutrition-related programs, issues and policies, and 82
develop recommendations to promote a strong food economy and 83
support community access to healthy foods. The council may make 84
recommendations related to the following: (1) Increased collaboration 85
and communication among state agencies; (2) increased collaboration 86
and communication among local, state and federal agencies; (3) 87
opportunities to leverage private and public market influence, such as 88
through institutional purchasing and contracts; (4) modifications to 89
existing or proposed state or federal laws or regulations or policies 90
relevant to the food system, food economy, food security and access to 91
healthy foods in the state; (5) improvements to state or federal 92
program implementation relevant to the food system, food economy, 93
food security and access to healthy foods in the state; (6) identification 94
of additional federal, state, local and private investments needed to 95
accomplish the council's recommendations; and (7) any other topic 96
deemed relevant by the council. 97
(g) The council (1) shall advise and provide information to the 98
Governor on the state's food policy; [and (4)] (2) shall examine food 99
policy at the local level and coordinate with local entities on existing 100
and proposed local food policy; (3) may work with local and state-101
wide food networks and commissions on food action planning 102
activities; and (4) shall prepare and submit to [the joint standing 103
committee of] the General Assembly, [having cognizance of matters 104
relating to the environment] in accordance with the provisions of 105
section 11-4a, an annual report concerning its activities with any 106
[appropriate] recommendations [concerning food policy] for 107
legislation. 108
[(d)] (h) The council may use such funds as may be available from 109
federal, state or other sources and may enter into contracts to carry out 110
the purposes of this section. 111
[(e)] (i) The council may, subject to the provisions of chapter 67, 112
employ any necessary staff within available appropriations. 113
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2019 22-456
Statement of Purpose:
To amend the membership and duties of the Connecticut Food Policy
Council.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. MOORE, 22nd Dist.
S.B. 252