EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0009*
HOUSE BILL 9
E4 5lr1371
(PRE–FILED) CF 5lr1372
By: Delegate Charkoudian Delegates Charkoudian, Behler, Boyce, Foley,
Lehman, Ruth, and Terrasa
Requested: October 25, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 11, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Safety – Food System Resiliency Council – Definitions and Reports 2
FOR the purpose of defining “healthy food priority areas” and “wasted food” as they relate 3
to the Food System Resiliency Council; repealing certain outdated reporting 4
requirements and altering certain ongoing reporting requirements; and generally 5
relating to the Food System Resiliency Council. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Public Safety 8
Section 14–1101 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
(As enacted by Chapter 49 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2023) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Public Safety 14
Section 14–1102(a) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – Public Safety 19
Section 14–1103 20 2 HOUSE BILL 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 2
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 3
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 4
Article – Public Safety 5
14–1101. 6
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 7
(b) “Council” means the Maryland Food System Resiliency Council. 8
(c) “Food council organization” means a local food council organization that is 9
established in the State. 10
(d) “HEALTHY FOOD PRIORITY AREAS” MEANS PREDOMINANTLY 11
LOWER–INCOME AREAS THAT HA VE LIMITED ACCESS TO RETAIL OUTLETS THAT 12
SELL AFFORDABLE , HEALTHY FOODS . 13
(E) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Emergency Management. 14
(F) “WASTED FOOD” MEANS FOOD NOT USED FOR ITS INTENDED PUR POSE 15
THAT IS MANAGED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS , INCLUDING: 16
(1) DONATIONS TO FEED PE OPLE; 17
(2) THE CREATION OF ANIM AL FEED; 18
(3) COMPOSTING ; 19
(4) ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ; OR 20
(5) DISPOSAL IN LANDFILL S OR COMBUSTION FACI LITIES. 21
14–1102. 22
(a) There is a Maryland Food System Resiliency Council in the Office of Resilience 23
in the Department. 24
14–1103. 25
(a) The Council shall: 26
HOUSE BILL 9 3
(1) meet regularly for a period of at least 2 years to address food insecurity 1
in the State; and 2
(2) work toward the following goals: 3
(i) to address the food insecurity crisis in the State resulting from 4
the COVID–19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis by: 5
1. coordinating State and local level food insecurity services 6
to support residents of the State; 7
2. tracking and analyzing data to create a comprehensive 8
map of food insecurity across the State and identify the gaps in service; 9
3. leveraging federal and private sector grants and other 10
resources in order to address food insecurity needs; 11
4. advising the State on how best to allocate resources and 12
increase efficiency; and 13
5. A. exploring the role of and potential for the federal 14
Community Eligibility Provision to ensure all students in the State are fed; and 15
B. making recommendations to the Maryland State 16
Department of Education and the Maryland General Assembly to implement relevant 17
findings under item A of this item; 18
(ii) to develop[, on or before November 1, 2021,] equity and 19
sustainability policy recommendations to increase the long–term resiliency of the food 20
system, including: 21
1. addressing and eliminating racial inequities in the food 22
system; 23
2. addressing and eliminating diet–related public health 24
disparities; 25
3. addressing and eliminating [food deserts] LIMITED FOOD 26
OPTIONS AND FOOD SCA RCITY THAT EXIST IN HEALTHY FOOD PRIORIT Y AREAS; and 27
4. reducing WASTED food [waste], increasing recycling, and 28
encouraging other relevant environmental impacts; 29
5. IN URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL SETTINGS , 30
INCREASING THE QUANT ITY, QUALITY AGGREGATION , MARKETING, AND 31
DISTRIBUTION OF LOCA L FOOD; 32 4 HOUSE BILL 9
6. INCREASING THE PROCU REMENT OF LOCAL FOOD 1
THROUGH SCHOOLS , INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH ER EDUCATION , AND OTHER 2
INSTITUTIONS; 3
7. CREATING ADDITIONAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES 4
FOR MARYLAND FOOD BUSINES SES; AND 5
8. EXPANDING ACCESS TO SMALL SCALE 6
MANUFACTURING AND FOOD PRODUCTION INFRASTRUCTURE ; AND 7
(iii) to expand the impact of existing food council organizations by: 8
1. providing coordination and facilitation of knowledge 9
exchange at the State level; and 10
2. supporting identification and application of grants to 11
operating funds to support existing and new food council organizations as needed; and 12
(iv) to develop[, on or before November 1, 2021, ] AND 13
PERIODICALLY UPDATE a strategic plan to increase the production and procurement of 14
Maryland certified food, including: 15
1. increasing the quality and quantity of production, as well 16
as aggregation, marketing, and distribution of local food in urban, suburban, and rural 17
settings; 18
2. increasing procurement of local food through schools, 19
universities, and other institutions; 20
3. creating additional market opportunities for Maryland 21
food businesses; and 22
4. expanding access to small scale manufacturing and food 23
production infrastructure. 24
(b) To advance the goals of the Council, the Council shall engage and collaborate 25
with interested stakeholders, including: 26
(1) residents of the State with lived experience of food insecurity; and 27
(2) food council organizations and similar local level food system convening 28
organizations. 29
HOUSE BILL 9 5
(c) [(1) On or before November 1, 2021, the Council shall submit an interim 1
report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government 2
Article, on key findings and activities undertaken by the Council. 3
(2) On or before November 1, 2022 the Council shall submit a report to the 4
General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on the 5
Council’s recommendations for a long term structure for a statewide food policy council 6
including providing recommendations on: 7
(i) appropriate policy and legislative changes; 8
(ii) potential ways to restructure the Council such as: 9
1. placing the Council within a different agency or 10
organization; and 11
2. enacting a sunset provision for the Council; and 12
(iii) any other recommendations of the Council. 13
(3)] On or before November 1, 2023, and each year thereafter, the Council 14
shall submit a report to the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State 15
Government Article, on key findings, APPROPRIAT E POLICY AND LEGISLA TIVE 16
CHANGES, and activities undertaken by the Council. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October 1, 2025. 19
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.