Maryland 2023 2023 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB32 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/10/2023

                     
 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
          *hb0032*  
  
HOUSE BILL 32 
E4   	3lr0653 
  	(PRE–FILED) 	CF SB 124 
By: Delegate Charkoudian 
Requested: October 31, 2022 
Introduced and read first time: January 11, 2023 
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Maryland Food System Resiliency Council  2 
 
FOR the purpose of establishing that the Maryland Food System Resiliency Council is in 3 
the Office of Resilience in the Maryland Department of Emergency Management; 4 
altering the process for electing a cochair of the Council; and generally relating to 5 
the Maryland Food System Resiliency Council.  6 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7 
 Article – Public Safety 8 
Section 14–1101 and 14–1102 9 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 10 
 (2022 Replacement Volume) 11 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13 
 
Article – Public Safety 14 
 
14–1101. 15 
 
 (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 16 
 
 (b) “Council” means the Maryland Food System Resiliency Council. 17 
 
 (c) [“Director” means the Director of the Maryland Emergency Management 18 
Agency. 19 
 
 (d)] “Food council organization” means a local food council organization that is 20 
established in the State. 21  2 	HOUSE BILL 32  
 
 
 
14–1102. 1 
 
 (a) There is a Maryland Food System Resiliency Council IN THE OFFICE OF 2 
RESILIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT .  3 
 
 (b) The Council consists of the following members: 4 
 
 (1) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 5 
the Senate; 6 
 
 (2) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the 7 
House; 8 
 
 (3) the [Director] SECRETARY, or the [Director’s] SECRETARY’S 9 
designee; 10 
 
 (4) the Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 11 
 
 (5) the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary’s designee; 12 
 
 (6) the Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary’s designee; 13 
 
 (7) the Executive Director of the Maryland Farm Bureau, or the Executive 14 
Director’s designee; 15 
 
 (8) the Executive Director of the Maryland Agricultural and 16 
Resource–Based Industry Development Corporation, or the Executive Director’s designee; 17 
 
 (9) the Dean of the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and 18 
Natural Resources, or the Dean’s designee; and 19 
 
 (10) the following members appointed by the [Director] SECRETARY: 20 
 
 (i) five representatives of five different food council organizations 21 
who are recommended by members of food council organizations; 22 
 
 (ii) one representative of the University of Maryland Extension; 23 
 
 (iii) one representative of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore 24 
Small Farm Program; 25 
 
 (iv) one representative of the Harry R. Hughes Center for 26 
Agro–Ecology; 27 
 
 (v) one representative of a public school system in the State who has 28 
experience in food security and local food procurement; 29   	HOUSE BILL 32 	3 
 
 
 
 (vi) one representative of a statewide food security advocacy 1 
organization; 2 
 
 (vii) one farmer in the State; 3 
 
 (viii) one owner of a food business in the State; 4 
 
 (ix) one expert in food system policy; 5 
 
 (x) one expert on racial equity in the food system; 6 
 
 (xi) one expert on food system impacts on climate and the 7 
environment; 8 
 
 (xii) one expert on food nutrition and public health; and 9 
 
 (xiii) any other individual that the [Director] SECRETARY deems 10 
appropriate. 11 
 
 (c) The [Director] SECRETARY shall: 12 
 
 (1) ensure that all five geographic areas of the State are represented by the 13 
appointed members of the Council; and 14 
 
 (2) appoint a successor in the event of a vacancy on the Council. 15 
 
 (d) (1) (i) The term of a member of the Council appointed by the [Director] 16 
SECRETARY is 3 years. 17 
 
 (ii) An appointed member may not serve for more than 2 consecutive 18 
three year terms. 19 
 
 (2) At the end of a term, a member continues to serve until a successor is 20 
appointed and qualifies. 21 
 
 (3) A member who is appointed after a term has begun shall serve for the 22 
rest of the term or until a successor is appointed and qualifies. 23 
 
 (e) A member of the Council: 24 
 
 (1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Council; but 25 
 
 (2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 26 
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State Budget. 27 
 
 (f) A majority of the members then serving on the Council is a quorum. 28  4 	HOUSE BILL 32  
 
 
 
 (g) (1) (i) The [Director] SECRETARY, or the [Director’s] SECRETARY’S 1 
designee, and one member [representing a food council organization] who is elected in 2 
accordance with subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph shall cochair the Council. 3 
 
 (ii) At the first meeting of each year, the Council shall elect a cochair 4 
from among the [five] Council members [representing food council organizations] for a 5 
term of 1 year. 6 
 
 (2) The Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary’s designee, the Secretary 7 
of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee, and the Dean of the University of Maryland 8 
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, or the Dean’s designee shall co–vice chair 9 
the Council. 10 
 
 (h) (1) The Council may establish subcommittees to provide technical 11 
assistance to the Council. 12 
 
 (2) The Council may establish subcommittee topics and membership as the 13 
Council deems appropriate. 14 
 
 (i) The [Maryland Emergency Management Agenc y and the University of 15 
Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources] DEPARTMENT shall provide staff 16 
for the Council[, as deemed necessary by the cochairs]. 17 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18 
October 1, 2023. 19