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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 63 FILED ON: 1/10/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 85 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Anne M. Gobi |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Anne M. GobiWorcester and HampshireJoanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/23/2023Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester1/23/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/30/2023Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/30/2023Susan Williams Gifford2nd Plymouth1/30/2023Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex1/30/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/30/2023Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and |
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| 16 | 16 | | Hampshire |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1/30/2023Brian M. Ashe2nd Hampden2/1/2023Mark C. MontignySecond Bristol and Plymouth2/1/2023Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester2/2/2023Michael J. Soter8th Worcester2/2/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/7/2023John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire2/7/2023Steven S. Howitt4th Bristol2/7/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex2/7/2023 2 of 2 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Julian CyrCape and Islands2/14/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/14/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk2/14/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/23/2023Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex2/23/2023Walter F. TimiltyNorfolk, Plymouth and Bristol2/23/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex2/23/2023Ryan C. FattmanWorcester and Hampden2/27/2023Carlos González10th Hampden3/1/2023Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex3/2/2023Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk3/6/2023Adam GomezHampden3/6/2023 1 of 2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 63 FILED ON: 1/10/2023 |
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| 20 | 20 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 85 |
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| 21 | 21 | | By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 85) of Anne M. Gobi, Joanne M. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Comerford, Jacob R. Oliveira, Hannah Kane and other members of the General Court for |
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| 23 | 23 | | legislation relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program. Children, Families and Persons |
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| 24 | 24 | | with Disabilities. |
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| 25 | 25 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 26 | 26 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 108 OF 2021-2022.] |
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| 27 | 27 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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| 29 | 29 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 31 | 31 | | _______________ |
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| 32 | 32 | | An Act relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program. |
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| 33 | 33 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 34 | 34 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 128 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2section 2E the following section:- |
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| 37 | 37 | | 3 Section 2F. (a) The department of transitional assistance, in partnership with the |
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| 38 | 38 | | 4department of agricultural resources and the department of public health, shall operate a healthy |
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| 39 | 39 | | 5incentives program. The program shall provide that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program |
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| 40 | 40 | | 6benefits, established pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7 U.S.C. section 2011 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 7hereinafter referred to as SNAP, redeemed for fruit and vegetable purchases, either fresh, |
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| 42 | 42 | | 8canned, dried or frozen, by a SNAP recipient at a participating vendor, shall entitle the recipient 2 of 2 |
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| 43 | 43 | | 9to receive a matching benefit reimbursed on the recipient’s EBT card, within limits to be |
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| 44 | 44 | | 10established by the department. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 11 (b) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate |
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| 46 | 46 | | 12fund, to be administered by the commissioner of the department of transitional assistance, which |
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| 47 | 47 | | 13shall be known as the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Fund. The Fund shall consist of all |
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| 48 | 48 | | 14revenues from public and private sources as appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, |
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| 49 | 49 | | 15reimbursements from the federal government and grants-in-aid or other receipts to further the |
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| 50 | 50 | | 16purposes of the Fund in accordance with this section. |
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| 51 | 51 | | 17 (c) The Department of Transitional Assistance and its partners may apply for any |
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| 52 | 52 | | 18available federal programs such as Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program administered |
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| 53 | 53 | | 19by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide matching benefits to be deposited in |
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| 54 | 54 | | 20the Fund. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 21 SECTION 2. The Department of Transitional Assistance shall promulgate rules and |
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| 56 | 56 | | 22regulations to implement the program set forth in section 1. |
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