UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1908
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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Make America Healthy Again 1
Kentucky Task Force to explore ways to integrate the principles of the Make America 2
Healthy Again movement to improve health outcomes of Kentuckians. 3
WHEREAS, improving public health and reducing the prevalence of chronic 4
diseases are critical to the health and well-being of Kentucky citizens and to the state's 5
prosperity; and 6
WHEREAS, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement promotes 7
health freedom by allowing individuals to make informed choices about their health care; 8
and 9
WHEREAS, the MAHA movement supports reducing the prevalence of chronic 10
diseases by improving lifestyle and dietary choices; and 11
WHEREAS, there is evidence that poor diet and lack of exercise contribute to the 12
high rates of chronic diseases in Kentucky; and 13
WHEREAS, approximately 74 percent of adults in the United States are overweight 14
or obese; and 15
WHEREAS, Kentucky has one of the highest adult obesity rates compared to other 16
states, with approximately 30 percent of adults classified as obese; and 17
WHEREAS, Kentucky has a childhood obesity rate of approximately 20 percent for 18
children between the ages of 10 and 17 years old; and 19
WHEREAS, in 2022, the leading cause of death in Kentucky was heart disease, 20
with an age-adjusted death rate of 216.3 per 100,000 residents, 23.3 percent higher than 21
the national average; and 22
WHEREAS, the MAHA movement advocates for increasing public access to 23
nutritious and unprocessed foods to promote a diet that supports good health; and 24
WHEREAS, the MAHA movement advocates for minimizing population exposure 25
to environmental toxins and pollutants that contribute to respiratory diseases, heart 26
disease, and other chronic conditions; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1908
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WHEREAS, the MAHA movement calls for transparent, science-based health 1
policies and recommendations that are in the best interest of the public and are free from 2
undue corporate influence; 3
NOW, THEREFORE, 4
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 5
Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein: 6
Section 1. The General Assembly supports the goals of the Make America 7
Healthy Again movement, and in doing so: 8
(1) Supports policies that increase access to clean, whole foods across Kentucky 9
to enhance nutrition and reduce diet-related diseases; 10
(2) Encourages access to local, fresh produce in schools, communities, and 11
markets through initiatives like farmers' markets and farm-to-school programs; 12
(3) Encourages public health efforts to educate Kentuckians on healthy living, 13
good nutrition, and chronic disease prevention; 14
(4) Urges state and local health agencies to collaborate with schools and 15
community organizations to expand public health programs that focus on empowering 16
individuals and families with knowledge on how to manage their own health through 17
good nutrition, regular physical activity, and avoidance of harmful substances; 18
(5) Urges legislative and regulatory updates to align agricultural and health 19
policies, including: 20
(a) Creating incentives for the production and consumption of nutritious foods in 21
Kentucky; 22
(b) Encouraging Kentuckians to make healthy food choices, including reducing 23
reliance on highly processed, high-sugar products, through education and policy 24
incentives; and 25
(c) Addressing environmental health risks to improve overall public health 26
outcomes; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1908
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(6) Recognizes the role of immunity as a factor in public health policy alongside 1
other preventive measures; and 2
(7) Encourages state health officials to consider evidence of immunity from prior 3
illness as part of broader health guidelines and emergency response plans. 4
Section 2. (1) The Legislative Research Commission shall establish the 5
Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force. 6
(2) The duties of the task force shall include but are not limited to: 7
(a) Exploring ways that Kentucky can integrate the MAHA movement principles 8
into state laws, policies, and programs to improve the overall health of Kentuckians; and 9
(b) Reviewing strategies that Kentucky may use to improve health outcomes 10
through: 11
1. Encouraging dietary and lifestyle changes; 12
2. Expanding public awareness efforts on healthy nutrition and lifestyles; 13
3. Reducing public exposure to environmental toxins; and 14
4. Increasing public awareness and input into state health policies. 15
Section 3. The Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force shall be 16
composed of the following members with final membership of the task force being 17
subject to the consideration and approval of the Legislative Research Commission: 18
(1) Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of 19
the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated by the Speaker of the 20
House of Representatives as a co-chair of the task force; 21
(2) Three members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, one of 22
whom shall be designated by the President of the Senate as a co-chair of the task force; 23
(3) The secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, or designee, who 24
shall serve as chair of the task force; 25
(4) The commissioner for the Kentucky Department for Public Health, or 26
designee; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1908
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(5) The commissioner of the Department for Community Based Services; 1
(6) The commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, or designee; 2
(7) The commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education, or designee; 3
and 4
(8) The chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensure and Certification for Dietitians 5
and Nutritionists, or designee. 6
Section 4. The Make America Healthy Again Kentucky Task Force shall at a 7
minimum meet monthly during the 2025 Interim of the General Assembly and shall 8
submit recommendations to the Governor and to the Legislative Research Commission 9
for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services by December 1, 2025. 10
Section 5. Provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the 11
Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the 12
issues identified herein to an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof, and to 13
designate a study completion date. 14
Section 6. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is directed to transmit a 15
copy of this Resolution to the Governor, each member of Kentucky’s Congressional 16
delegation, and the secretary of Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the 17
Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and the commissioner of the 18
Kentucky Department of Education, for review and consideration in advancing the goals 19
of the Make America Healthy Again movement to make Kentucky healthy again. 20