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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1482
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING MAXIMIZING USE OF FEDERAL
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUNDS AND
THE RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM FOR THE NUTRITIONAL
NEEDS OF ELDERLY PERSONS AND OTHERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section and 1
sections 2 to 4, inclusive, of this act: (1) "Restaurant Meals Program" 2
means a United States Department of Agriculture program that allows 3
an eligible supplemental nutrition assistance program beneficiary to 4
purchase meals at participating restaurants with their benefits, and (2) 5
"eligible beneficiary" means a supplemental nutrition assistance 6
program beneficiary who is sixty years of age or older, disabled, 7
homeless or the spouse of an eligible supplemental nutrition assistance 8
program beneficiary. 9
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the 10
advisory committee established pursuant to section 2 of this act, shall 11
develop a plan to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program that 12
offers a variety of restaurant choices and healthy meal options for an 13
eligible beneficiary throughout the state. Not later than November 1, 14
2025, the commissioner shall file a report, in accordance with the 15
provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, on the plan with the 16
joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 17 Substitute Bill No. 1482
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matters relating to human services. The commissioner shall submit a 18
formal application for state participation in the Restaurant Meals 19
Program with the United States Department of Agriculture not later 20
than December 1, 2025. 21
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established an 22
advisory committee to assist the Commissioner of Social Services in 23
developing a Restaurant Meals Program pursuant to section 1 of this act. 24
(b) The committee shall consist of the following members: 25
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 26
one of whom is a representative of community action agencies; 27
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 28
whom is a representative of a nonprofit organization working on food 29
security issues; 30
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 31
Representatives, who is a representative of a nonprofit organization 32
working on issues concerning homeless persons; 33
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who is a 34
representative of a nonprofit organization working on issues related to 35
health outcomes among minority populations; 36
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 37
Representatives, who is a representative of a restaurant that has 38
participated in or is interested in participating in the Restaurant Meals 39
Program; 40
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who is a 41
representative of a nonprofit organization working on issues relating to 42
aging persons; 43
(7) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 44
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 45
relating to human services, or their designees; 46 Substitute Bill No. 1482
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(8) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's 47
designee; 48
(9) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, or the 49
commissioner's designee; and 50
(10) A representative of the Commission on Women, Children, 51
Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, who works on issues concerning 52
nutrition, chosen by the executive director of the commission. 53
(c) Any member of the advisory committee appointed under 54
subdivision (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) or (7) of subsection (b) of this section 55
may be a member of the General Assembly. 56
(d) All initial appointments to the advisory committee shall be made 57
not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any 58
vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. 59
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 60
tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the advisory 61
committee from among the members of the advisory committee. Such 62
chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the advisory committee, 63
which shall be held not later than sixty days after the effective date of 64
this section. 65
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 66
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human 67
services shall serve as administrative staff of the advisory committee. 68
(g) The advisory committee shall study best practices nation-wide for 69
state implementation of the Restaurant Meals Program and submit 70
interim recommendations concerning the development of a Restaurant 71
Meals Program to the Commissioner of Social Services not later than 72
October 1, 2025. Not later than January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter 73
until a Restaurant Meals Program is established in the state, the advisory 74
committee shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations 75
to the Commissioner of Social Services and the joint standing 76 Substitute Bill No. 1482
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committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 77
relating to aging and human services, in accordance with the provisions 78
of section 11-4a of the general statutes. The report shall include 79
recommendations on any legislation necessary to establish a Restaurant 80
Meals Program in the state. 81
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Commissioner of Social 82
Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Aging and Disability 83
Services and area agencies on aging, as described in section 17a-850 of 84
the general statutes, and the task force established pursuant to section 4 85
of this act, shall maximize the use of federal supplemental nutrition 86
assistance program funds to provide nutritious meals to elderly persons 87
living at home or in congregate housing, including, but not limited to, 88
through establishment of the Restaurant Meals Program pursuant to 89
section 1 of this act. 90
(b) Not later than December 31, 2025, and twice annually thereafter, 91
the Commissioner of Social Services shall file a report, in accordance 92
with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, with the joint 93
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 94
matters relating to aging and human services on (1) funding under the 95
supplemental nutrition assistance program used for such meals, (2) any 96
impediments under federal law to using such funding for such meals, 97
and (3) any state appropriations necessary to ensure the program serves 98
all persons who are eligible for supplemental nutritional assistance. 99
Sec. 4. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to 100
study and make recommendations concerning maximizing use of 101
supplemental nutrition assistance program funds to expand nutritional 102
services for elderly persons, including, but not limited to, establishing a 103
Restaurant Meals Program pursuant to section 1 of this act. Such study 104
shall include, but need not be limited to, a review of the (1) elderly 105
nutrition program administered by the Department of Aging and 106
Disability Services, (2) ways to utilize supplemental nutrition assistance 107
program funds to expand the elderly nutrition program, (3) costs of the 108
meal preparation and delivery under the elderly nutrition program, (4) 109 Substitute Bill No. 1482
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number of participants in the elderly nutrition program compared to the 110
estimated number of persons in need of nutritional services, (5) 111
adequacy of state funding levels for the elderly nutrition program, and 112
(6) process for contracting with providers of elderly nutrition services. 113
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 114
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 115
one of whom shall be a representative of the eastern area agency on 116
aging and one of whom shall be a representative of the north central 117
area agency on aging; 118
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 119
whom shall be a representative of the south central area agency on aging 120
and one of whom shall be a representative of the southwestern area 121
agency on aging; 122
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 123
Representatives, who shall be a representative of the western area 124
agency on aging; 125
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who shall be 126
a representative of an elderly nutrition provider who represents a 127
community action agency; 128
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 129
Representatives, who shall be a representative of an elderly nutrition 130
provider; 131
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall be 132
a senior citizen who receives meals through the elderly nutrition 133
program; 134
(7) The House and Senate chairpersons of the joint standing 135
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 136
relating to human services, or their designees; 137
(8) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, or the 138 Substitute Bill No. 1482
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commissioner's designee; and 139
(9) The Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's 140
designee. 141
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 142
(2), (3), (4), (5), (6) or (7) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 143
of the General Assembly. 144
(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 145
than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 146
be filled by the appointing authority. 147
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 148
tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from 149
among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule 150
the first meeting of the task force not later than September 1, 2025. 151
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 152
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human 153
services shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 154
(g) Not later than January 15, 2026, the task force shall submit a report 155
on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committees 156
of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging 157
and human services, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a 158
of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it 159
submits such report or January 15, 2026, whichever is later. 160
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section "food 161
desert" means an area of the state identified as a food desert in the Food 162
Access Research Atlas produced by the United States Department of 163
Agriculture's Economic Research Service. 164
(b) Not later than October 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the 165
Attorney General shall file a report, in accordance with the provisions 166
of section 11-4a of the general statutes, with the joint standing 167
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 168 Substitute Bill No. 1482
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relating to commerce, human services and the judiciary on (1) any price 169
discrimination investigation launched by the Attorney General against 170
a grocery store under state law in any area of the state, including, but 171
not limited to, a food desert, and (2) information on any investigations 172
under federal law into said price discrimination that the Attorney 173
General is aware of and recommendations on legislation that may be 174
needed to protect consumers against said discrimination. 175
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Sec. 5 from passage New section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
The title was changed, and in Section 5(a), "area identified" was changed
to "area of the state identified" for clarity and consistency.
HS Joint Favorable Subst.