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to the Food System Resiliency Council; repealing certain outdated reporting 4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