EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0226*
SENATE BILL 226
M4 5lr0027
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 104
By: Chair, Finance Committee (By Request – Departmental – Agriculture)
Requested: October 6, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Farms and Families Fund – Purpose and Use – Alterations 2
FOR the purpose of altering the purpose and use of the Maryland Farms and Families 3
Fund; and generally relating to the Maryland Farms and Families Fund. 4
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Article – Agriculture 6
Section 10–2001 and 10–2002 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Agriculture 11
Section 10–2003 and 10–2004 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Agriculture 17
10–2001. 18
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 19
(b) “FMNP” means the federal Farmers Market Nutrition Program. 20
(c) “Fund” means the Maryland Farms and Families Fund. 21 2 SENATE BILL 226
(d) “Program” means the Maryland Farms and Families Program. 1
(e) “SNAP” means the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 2
(f) “WIC” means the federal Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, 3
Infants, and Children. 4
10–2002. 5
(a) There is a Maryland Farms and Families Program in the Department. 6
(b) The purpose of the Program is to double the purchasing power of food–insecure 7
Maryland residents with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables and to increase 8
revenue for farmers through redemption of federal nutrition benefits at Maryland farmers 9
markets. 10
10–2003. 11
(a) There is a Maryland Farms and Families Fund. 12
(b) The purpose of the Fund is [to provide grants] to: 13
(1) [Nonprofit organizations that match] MATCH purchases made with 14
FMNP, SNAP, and WIC benefits at participating farmers markets and farm stands; 15
(2) [Nonprofit] SUPPORT NONPROFIT farmers markets to implement the 16
Program [at the farmers markets] BY PROVIDING LOGISTICAL AND MARKETING 17
SUPPORT TO INCREASE THE USE OF FEDERAL N UTRITION PROGRAMS AT THESE 18
FARMERS MARKETS; and 19
(3) [Local] SUPPORT nonprofit organizations AND OTHER RESPONSIBL E 20
PERSONS to implement the Program in partnership with one or more participating local 21
farmers markets. 22
(c) The Secretary shall administer the Fund. 23
(d) (1) The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of 24
the State Finance and Procurement Article. 25
(2) The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the 26
Comptroller shall account for the Fund. 27
(e) The Fund consists of: 28
(1) Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; and 29 SENATE BILL 226 3
(2) Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the 1
Fund. 2
(f) (1) In accordance with this subsection, THE DEPARTMENT MAY USE the 3
Fund [shall be used to provide grants] FOR EITHER ONE OR BO TH OF THE FOLLOWING 4
PURPOSES: 5
(i) [Nonprofit organizations that:] TO IMPLEMENT , IN WHOLE OR 6
IN PART, THE PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT; AND 7
[1. Meet the qualifications established in § 10–2004 of this 8
subtitle; and 9
2. Distribute the grant money to farmers markets and local 10
nonprofit organizations in accordance with this subtitle;] 11
(ii) [Nonprofit farmers markets to implement the Program at the 12
farmers markets; and] TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO A QUALIFIED NONPROFIT 13
ORGANIZATION OR OTHE R RESPONSIBLE PERSON TO IMPLEMENT , IN WHOLE OR IN 14
PART, THE PROGRAM. 15
[(iii) Local nonprofit organizations to implement the Program in 16
partnership with one or more local farmers markets.] 17
(2) A qualified nonprofit organization OR OTHER PERSON that receives [a 18
grant] FUNDS under this section: 19
(i) Shall distribute at least 60% of the [grant] money it receives 20
directly to participating farmers markets as funding for local market access coordinators 21
and matching dollars for purchases made with FMNP, SNAP, and WIC benefits; and 22
(ii) May not use more than 40% of the [grant] money it receives for 23
Program development, promotion and outreach, farmers market training and capacity 24
building, technical assistance, program data collection, evaluation, administration, and 25
reporting. 26
(g) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Governor shall include 27
in the annual budget bill an appropriation to the Fund as follows: 28
(i) For fiscal years 2021 through 2023, $100,000; and 29
(ii) For fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, $300,000. 30
4 SENATE BILL 226
(2) The appropriation required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall 1
be in addition to, and may not supplant, any funding appropriated to the [Marketing and 2
Promotion Division] AGRICULTURE AND SEAFOOD MARKETING PROGRAM in the 3
Department. 4
10–2004. 5
(a) (1) A nonprofit organization OR OTHER PERSON is qualified to receive [a 6
grant] FUNDS in accordance with this subtitle if the Department determines that the 7
[nonprofit] organization OR PERSON has a demonstrated record of: 8
(i) Designing and implementing successful healthy food incentive 9
programs that connect federal food benefits recipients with local producers; 10
(ii) Implementing funds distributing and reporting processes; 11
(iii) Providing training and technical assistance to farmers markets; 12
(iv) Conducting community outreach and data collection, including 13
customer surveys; and 14
(v) Providing a full accounting and administration of funds 15
distributed to farmers markets. 16
(2) In addition to the requirements under paragraph (1) of this subsection, 17
in awarding [a grant] FUNDS in accordance with this subtitle, the Department may 18
consider whether the [nonprofit] organization OR PERSON has a demonstrated record of 19
providing services in healthy food priority areas. 20
(b) Within 90 days after the end of a [grant cycle] CALENDAR YEAR , [a qualified 21
nonprofit] AN organization OR PERSON that received [a grant] FUNDS in accordance with 22
this subtitle shall submit a report to the Department that includes the following 23
information: 24
(1) The names and locations of Maryland farmers markets that received 25
funds under the Program; 26
(2) The dollar amount of funds awarded to each participating farmers 27
market; 28
(3) The dollar amount of FMNP, SNAP, and WIC benefits, and funds 29
provided under the Program that were spent at participating farmers markets, as well as 30
any unspent funds; 31
(4) The number of FMNP, SNAP, and WIC transactions carried out at 32
participating farmers markets; and 33 SENATE BILL 226 5
(5) The impact of the Program on increasing the quantity of fresh fruits 1
and vegetables consumed by FMNP, SNAP, and WIC families, as determined by customer 2
surveys. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
October 1, 2025. 5