1 of 1
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 829 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 104
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Joanne M. Comerford
_________________
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 :Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and WorcesterRebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/22/2025John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth1/29/2025Mark C. MontignySecond Bristol and Plymouth1/29/2025Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk1/31/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/31/2025Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/14/2025Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex2/19/2025Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex2/26/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester3/3/2025Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester3/6/2025 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 829 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 104
By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 104) of Joanne M. Comerford,
Rebecca L. Rausch, John F. Keenan, Mark C. Montigny and other members of the General Court
for legislation relative to an agricultural healthy incentives program. Children, Families and
Persons with Disabilities.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 85 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
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 2 of 3
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
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 3 of 3
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
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.