Session of 2024
HOUSE BILL No. 2564
By Committee on Appropriations
Requested by Mallory Lutz on behalf of the Kansas Food and Farm Coalition
1-22
AN ACT concerning agriculture; relating to the Kansas department of
agriculture; establishing a farm-to-food bank program to expand the
availability of Kansas agricultural food products for the state of Kansas'
emergency food system.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. Sections 1 through 4, and amendments thereto, shall be
known and may be cited as the Kansas farm-to-food bank program act.
Sec. 2. As used in the Kansas farm-to-food bank program act:
(a) "Agricultural entity" means a grower, producer or processor of
Kansas agricultural food products.
(b) "Department" means the Kansas department of agriculture.
(c) "Food" means the same as defined in K.S.A. 65-656, and
amendments thereto.
(d) "Food bank" means a public or charitable institution that
maintains an established operation involving the provision of food to food
pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers or other feeding programs
that, as an integral part of their normal activities, provide meals or food to
needy persons.
(e) "Kansas agricultural food product" means food that has been
grown, raised or produced in Kansas.
(f) "Kansas emergency food system" means food pantries, soup
kitchens, hunger relief centers or other feeding programs that, as an
integral part of their normal activities, provide meals or food to needy
persons.
(g) "Program" means the Kansas farm-to-food bank program.
(h) "Program participant" means a food bank that receives Kansas
agricultural food products under the Kansas farm-to-food bank program to
be distributed to food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers or other
feeding programs that provide meals or food to needy persons.
(i) "Secretary" means the secretary of agriculture.
Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established within the Kansas department
of agriculture a Kansas farm-to-food bank program to help expand the
availability of nutritious, locally grown, raised or produced foods for the
Kansas emergency food system.
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(b) (1) The program shall acquire Kansas agricultural food products
from agricultural entities or aggregators and distribute such products to the
Kansas emergency food system.
(2) All Kansas agricultural food products distributed under the
program shall be safe for human consumption and only be distributed
within Kansas.
(c) The program may use funds to purchase Kansas agricultural food
products or to facilitate the donation of Kansas agricultural food products,
including, but not limited to, harvesting, packing and transportation.
(d) The program may distribute funds to food banks with the
infrastructure to accept, store and distribute foods through the emergency
food system in compliance with federal, state and local health and food
safety requirements. Foods may be sourced directly from an agricultural
entity or through Kansas-based aggregators if such foods meet program
requirements.
(e) The program is subject to appropriation and shall dedicate not less
than 75% of available funds to acquisition and distribution of Kansas
agricultural food products.
Sec. 4. (a) (1) The secretary shall engage food banks to administer the
program.
(2) Participating food banks shall collectively cover every county of
the state and distribute food to food pantries and soup kitchens without
duplication.
(3) Participating food banks shall pass a scored, third-party food
safety audit and adhere to federal, state and local health and food safety
regulations.
(4) Participating food banks may not assess fees on foods from the
program to recipient distribution sites, programs, individuals or
households.
(b) The secretary's duties in administering the program shall be:
(1) Building relationships with agricultural entities;
(2) assessing the needs of food-insecure Kansans;
(3) coordinating the acquisition of Kansas agricultural food products
and distribution of such products to the Kansas emergency food system;
and
(4) issuing an annual report that summarizes the program's activities
from the prior calender year.
(c) The secretary shall adopt rules and regulations to carry out the
provisions of this act, including, but not limited to:
(1) Eligible costs related to acquisition and distribution of food,
including, but not limited to, harvesting, packing and transportation;
(2) health and safety requirements for program participants, farmers
and transportation;
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(3) food quality standards;
(4) contracting requirements and purchasing options; and
(5) data collection, evaluation and annual plan and reporting
requirements.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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