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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3462 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3331
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Ann-Margaret Ferrante and Hannah Kane
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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 establishing the Executive Office of Food Resources and Security.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Ann-Margaret Ferrante5th Essex1/17/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/17/2025Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/30/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/30/2025 1 of 10
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3462 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3331
By Representatives Ferrante of Gloucester and Kane of Shrewsbury, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 3331) of Ann-Margaret Ferrante, Hannah Kane and others for legislation to
establish an executive office of food resources and security. State Administration and
Regulatory Oversight.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3029 OF 2023-2024.]
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 establishing the Executive Office of Food Resources and Security.
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. Section 2 of chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “affairs”, in line 3, the following
3words:- , food resources and security.
4 SECTION 2. Section 3 of chapter 23G of the General Laws is hereby amended by
5inserting after the word “projects”, in line 89, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, the
6following words:- and loans to food producers selected by the department of investment and
7financing for food production pursuant to section 10 of chapter 28B.
8 SECTION 3. The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after section 28A the
9following chapter:- 2 of 10
10 CHAPTER 28B.
11 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF FOOD RESOURCES AND SECURITY
12 Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly
13requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
14 “Food Producer”, a person who produces food by farming, as that term is defined in
15section 1A of chapter 128, in the commonwealth, or by taking and selling fish, including
16shellfish, lobsters, edible crabs or other living marine resources, from coastal waters of the
17commonwealth under a commercial fishing license, permit or certificate issued pursuant to
18chapter 130.
19 “Food production”, the process by which a food producer cultivates, raises, harvests,
20collects, takes, gathers or otherwise handles plant or animal life, in whole or in part, whether or
21not embedded in the soil, for the purpose of offering for sale such plant or animal life, or part
22thereof, as food in the open market.
23 “Office”, the executive office of food resources and security.
24 “Secretary”, the secretary of food resources and security.
25 Section 2. There shall be an executive office of food resources and security, which shall
26be under the supervision and control of a secretary of food resources and security, appointed by
27the governor. The secretary may, pursuant to chapter 30A, adopt regulations for the
28implementation or interpretation of any law enforced or administered by any department, office,
29agency, or other entity in the executive office of food resources and security. In the executive
30office shall be the department of food production, the department of food labor and workforce 3 of 10
31development, the department of food innovation, development and research, the department of
32investment and financing for food production, the department of food security, identification and
33labeling, the department of economic development for locally-produced food, the department of
34nutrition and food health and the department of self-sufficiency for food production. Each
35department shall be headed by a commissioner. The executive office shall be organized and shall
36function as a single state agency with the authority and control for administrative purposes
37including, but not limited to, for the purposes of the accounting and financial system of the
38commonwealth. The secretary shall, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary,
39identify and consolidate administrative activities and functions common to the separate
40departments within the office and may designate such functions “core administrative functions”
41in order to improve administrative efficiency and preserve fiscal resources; provided, however,
42that common functions that shall be designated core administrative functions shall include, but
43shall not be limited to, human resources, financial management, information technology, legal,
44procurement and asset management.
45 Each commissioner shall be appointed and may be removed by the secretary, with the
46approval of the governor. Each commissioner shall be a person of skill and experience in the
47field of his appointment. The commissioner of each department may adopt reasonable
48regulations to allow those employees within his or her department to testify in civil proceedings
49so as to further the performance of the department's business. The commissioner of each
50department shall appoint all necessary employees within the department, except as may be
51otherwise provided by law. The positions of commissioner shall not be subject to the provisions
52of chapter 31 or section 9A of chapter 30. Each commissioner shall perform such functions as
53may be assigned to him by the secretary and shall devote his full time during business hours to 4 of 10
54the duties of the position. In case of a vacancy or an emergency, the secretary may appoint a
55person as acting commissioner for a period not exceeding 6 months, of any of the above
56departments, provided, the appointee is a person of skill and experience in the field of his or her
57appointment. The positions of the commissioners shall be classified in accordance with section
5845 of chapter 30 and the salaries shall be determined in accordance with section 46C of said
59chapter 30.
60 Section 3. The office and its appropriate departments shall carry out policy relative to
61food production and in so doing shall:
62 (1) foster and support food producers so they are able to effectively and safely produce,
63market and sell food in a sustainable manner throughout the commonwealth.
64 (2) promote job creation and economic development in food production and local food
65distribution;
66 (3) create a workforce in food production that gives rise to an attractive environment for
67next-generation food production workers and researchers;
68 (4) develop and administer programs and incentives to improve nutrition and promote
69healthy eating habits across all age groups;
70 (5) develop statewide polices to increase demand for local foods through marketing and
71branding initiatives, and improve market and environmental statistics to support such polices;
72 (6) encourage, support, and undertake research and maintain laboratory and other
73research facilities to produce information regarding the science of food production, 5 of 10
74transportation and consumption for the benefit of the commonwealth, its communities, its
75citizens and other interested parties;
76 (7) enter into contracts and partnerships with private and public institutions for the
77advancement of the goals and directives set forth in this chapter;
78 (8) develop and administer programs and recommendations to reduce input costs, while
79strengthening financing and business planning for food producers;
80 (9) develop and administer programs to strengthen food production in the
81commonwealth so that in the future, Massachusetts would be better suited to feed all its citizens
82without importation of food from other states;
83 (10) foster strong relationships with food producers and consumers to achieve the goals
84and directives set forth in this chapter while creating opportunities for cultural and economic
85growth for the citizens of this commonwealth;
86 (11) advise and assist local governments, private and public institutions, organizations
87and associations, businesses, industries, and individuals by providing and acting as a
88clearinghouse for food production and labeling and consumption information, data, and other
89materials;
90 (12) represent and act on behalf of the commonwealth in connection with federal grant
91programs;
92 (13) keep accounts, records, personal data, enter into contracts, adjust claims, accept
93gifts, grants, bequests and devises, and subject to appropriation, acquire real or personal property
94by eminent domain or otherwise; 6 of 10
95 (14) advise and assist state agencies, cities, towns, and other units of local government in
96the preparation of grant or loan applications with respect to any food production or protection
97programs;
98 (15) coordinate activities among public institutions of higher education to engage in
99complementary state educational programs and collaborative research initiatives regarding food
100production; and
101 (16) promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out their statutory
102responsibilities.
103 Section 4. The secretary shall have the following powers and duties concerning any
104power or duty assigned to any department:
105 (1) the power and duty to resolve administrative and jurisdictional conflicts between any
106such departments or officers;
107 (2) the power and duty to implement, upon request of any such department or officer,
108programs jointly agreed to by the secretary and such agency or officer; and
109 (3) the power and duty to coordinate and improve program activities involving 2 or more
110such departments or officers.
111 Section 5. The secretary shall conduct comprehensive planning with respect to the
112functions of the office and shall coordinate the activities and programs of the departments and
113divisions within the office. The secretary shall continually review the operations of the office
114with a view toward improving administrative organization, procedures and practices, promoting
115economy and efficiency. 7 of 10
116 The secretary shall prepare annually a report of the organization and activities of the
117office as individually reported by the various departments and divisions within the office, the
118assignment of functions to various administrative units, officers and employees, and of the
119established places at which, and the methods whereby, the public may receive information or
120may make requests, and such other matters as the secretary deem appropriate.
121 The secretary shall annually evaluate the status of the production, distribution, labeling
122and consumption of food within the commonwealth. This evaluation shall be submitted as a part
123of the report referred to in the preceding paragraph, and it shall be accompanied by
124recommendations for appropriate actions to be taken to achieve best practices with respect to the
125production, distribution, labeling and consumption of food within the commonwealth.
126 In order to carry out the provisions of this chapter the secretary may, and is encouraged
127to, seek the laboratory, technical, education, and research skills and facilities of state institutions
128of higher learning.
129 Section 6. Subject to appropriation, the secretary, with the approval of the governor, may
130appoint such experts and other assistants as he shall deem necessary to perform the functions of
131his office, provided that the provisions of chapter 31 and section 9A of chapter 30 shall not apply
132to any person holding any such appointment. Every person so appointed to any position in his
133office shall have experience and skill in the field of such position. So far as practicable in the
134judgment of the secretary, appointments to such positions in his office shall be made by
135promoting employees of the commonwealth serving in positions which are classified under
136chapter 31, and such appointments shall at all times reflect the professional needs of the
137department or division affected. If an employee serving in a position which is classified under 8 of 10
138chapter 31 or in which he has tenure by reason of section 9A of chapter 30 shall be appointed to
139a position within his office which is not subject to the provisions of chapter 31, he shall upon
140termination of his service in such unclassified position be restored to the position which he held
141immediately prior to such appointment; provided, however, that his service in such unclassified
142position shall be determined by the civil service commission in accordance with the standards
143applied by said commission in administering chapter 31. Such restoration shall be made without
144impairment of his civil service status or tenure under section 9A of chapter 30 and without loss
145of seniority, retirement, or other rights to which uninterrupted service in such prior position
146would have entitled him. During the period of such appointment, each person so appointed from
147a position in the classified civil service shall be eligible to take any competitive promotional
148examination for which he would otherwise have been eligible.
149 Section 7. There shall be a department of food production broadly tasked with promoting
150the effective, profitable and safe production of food throughout farms and fishing communities
151located in the commonwealth.
152 Section 8. There shall be a department of food labor and workforce development, which
153shall: (1) develop programs that provide economic incentive to food producers; (2) create a
154workforce in food production that gives rise to an attractive environment for future food
155production workers and researchers; and (3) encourage, support, and undertake research into
156alternative centers of economic growth for food production and distribution within the
157commonwealth, including projects like the Gloucester Genomics Institute.
158 Section 9. There shall be a department of food innovation, development and research,
159which shall undertake research and maintain laboratory and other research facilities to provide 9 of 10
160information to food producers and other interested parties regarding the science behind food
161production. The department shall undertake research regarding the impact that specific
162environmental, biological, meteorological and chemical conditions have on food production in
163the commonwealth in order to, develop new sciences, proposals and techniques for the
164conservation and enhancement of fields, water and wildlife for food production.
165 Section 10. There shall be a department of investment and financial planning for food
166production, which shall identify and select food producers who are eligible to receive loans from
167the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency pursuant to clause (17) of section 3 of chapter
16823G, based on criteria to be determined by the department; provided, however, in selecting food
169producers pursuant to this section, the department shall give preference to food producers
170operating in designated port areas. The department shall research and investigate production and
171operation methods of food producers, including the possibility and efficacy for producers to
172utilize shared equipment and infrastructure, and make recommendations to reduce input costs
173associated with production and transportation. The department shall develop programs and make
174recommendations to food producers designed to attract entrepreneurs and other new investors
175with a focus on providing equity-like, risk capital for production growth to be supplied in smaller
176amounts and at lower returns.
177 Section 11. There shall be a department of food security, identification and labeling,
178which shall develop and administer programs and policies to improve food management and
179security and shall research the efficacy and implementation of next-generation food tracking
180systems, food management policies and labeling procedures to ensure a secure food
181infrastructure in the commonwealth. 10 of 10
182 Section 12. There shall be a department of economic development for locally-produced
183food that shall develop and administer public relations campaigns and marketing and branding
184programs to encourage public institutions and private businesses to purchase locally grown foods
185in order to strengthen and maintain local food producers positions in the local marketplace.
186 Section 13. There shall be a department of nutrition and food health, which shall develop
187and administer a public relations campaign and other programs designed to: (i) provide
188nutritional education to food producers and consumers; and (ii) encourage consumers to adopt
189healthy eating habits.
190 Section 14. There shall be a department of self-sufficiency for food production, which
191shall develop and administer programs to strengthen food production in the commonwealth so
192that in the future, Massachusetts would be better suited to feed all its citizens without importation
193of food from other states.