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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2197 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 222
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Mindy Domb and Andres X. Vargas
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/15/2025Andres X. Vargas3rd Essex1/15/2025James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex3/6/2025Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex3/6/2025Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin3/6/2025Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol3/6/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester3/6/2025Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex3/6/2025Carole A. Fiola6th Bristol3/6/2025Carlos González10th Hampden3/6/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester3/6/2025Kevin G. Honan17th Suffolk3/6/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester3/6/2025Christopher M. Markey9th Bristol3/6/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk3/6/2025Brian W. Murray10th Worcester3/6/2025Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex3/6/2025Steven Owens29th Middlesex3/6/2025 2 of 2
Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire3/6/2025Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex3/6/2025Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex3/6/2025Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex3/6/2025Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex3/6/2025Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex3/6/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2197 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 222
By Representatives Domb of Amherst and Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill,
House, No. 222) of Mindy Domb, Andres X. Vargas and others for legislation to authorize
agricultural healthy incentives program. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 128 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2section 2E the following section:-
3 Section 2F. (a) The department of transitional assistance, in partnership with the
4department of agricultural resources and the department of public health, shall operate a year-
5round healthy incentives program. The program shall provide that Supplemental Nutrition
6Assistance Program benefits, established pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, 7
7U.S.C. section 2011 hereinafter referred to as SNAP, redeemed for fruit and vegetable purchases,
8either fresh, canned, dried or frozen, by a SNAP recipient at a participating vendor, shall entitle
9the recipient to receive a matching benefit reimbursed on the recipient’s EBT card, within limits
10to be established by the department. When expanding the number of participating vendors, the
11department shall prioritize improving access in areas with limited access to fresh, local produce
12and that are historically underserved by the program. The department shall collaborate with local 2 of 3
13food coalitions and nonprofit groups to develop community outreach strategies that ensure
14equitable access to, and knowledge of, the program.
15 (b) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate
16fund, to be administered by the commissioner of the department of transitional assistance, which
17shall be known as the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Fund. The Fund shall consist of all
18revenues from public and private sources as appropriations, gifts, grants, donations,
19reimbursements from the federal government and grants-in-aid or other receipts to further the
20purposes of the Fund in accordance with this section.
21 (c) The department of transitional assistance and its partners may apply for any available
22federal programs such as Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program administered by the
23United States department of agriculture to provide matching benefits to be deposited in the Fund.
24 (d) The department of transitional assistance shall, annually on or before January 31,
25submit a report of the healthy incentives program’s activities to the clerks of the house and the
26senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the committee on children, families
27and persons with disabilities and the committee on agriculture and shall post the report on the
28department’s website. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the number of
29households utilizing the program, including household size, age and racial demographic
30information; (ii) the number of program transactions; (iii) the number and name of vendors
31processing program transactions; (iv) a breakdown of the total number of program participants
32and vendors, by their municipality; (v) the number of vendors, by their municipalities, who
33applied to be a vendor with the healthy incentives program but were not accepted as a vendor
34due to funding or administrative shortages; (vi) the department’s efforts, plans and timeline for 3 of 3
35identifying geographic areas that are underserved by the program and increasing program
36activity in those areas, including metrics and factors to be used to make determinations for the
37addition and siting of vendors; and (vii) any further recommendations to improve the
38performance of the program.
39 SECTION 2. The department of transitional assistance shall promulgate rules and
40regulations to implement the program set forth in section 1.