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.
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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
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 2, 2025
CHAPTER ______
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
2 SENATE BILL 226
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 1
(b) “FMNP” means the federal Farmers Market Nutrition Program. 2
(c) “Fund” means the Maryland Farms and Families Fund. 3
(d) “Program” means the Maryland Farms and Families Program. 4
(e) “SNAP” means the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 5
(f) “WIC” means the federal Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, 6
Infants, and Children. 7
10–2002. 8
(a) There is a Maryland Farms and Families Program in the Department. 9
(b) The purpose of the Program is to double the purchasing power of food–insecure 10
Maryland residents with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables and to increase 11
revenue for farmers through redemption of federal nutrition benefits at Maryland farmers 12
markets. 13
10–2003. 14
(a) There is a Maryland Farms and Families Fund. 15
(b) The purpose of the Fund is [to provide grants] to: 16
(1) [Nonprofit organizations that match] MATCH purchases made with 17
FMNP, SNAP, and WIC benefits at participating farmers markets and farm stands; 18
(2) [Nonprofit] SUPPORT NONPROFIT farmers markets to implement the 19
Program [at the farmers markets] BY PROVIDING LOGISTICAL AND MARKETING 20
SUPPORT TO INCREASE THE USE OF FEDERAL N UTRITION PROGRAMS AT THESE 21
FARMERS MARKETS; and 22
(3) [Local] SUPPORT nonprofit organizations AND OTHER RESPONSIBL E 23
PERSONS to implement the Program in partnership with one or more participating local 24
farmers markets. 25
(c) The Secretary shall administer the Fund. 26
(d) (1) The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of 27
the State Finance and Procurement Article. 28
SENATE BILL 226 3
(2) The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the 1
Comptroller shall account for the Fund. 2
(e) The Fund consists of: 3
(1) Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; and 4
(2) Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the 5
Fund. 6
(f) (1) In accordance with this subsection, THE DEPARTMENT MAY USE the 7
Fund [shall be used to provide grants] FOR EITHER ONE OR BO TH OF THE FOLLOWING 8
PURPOSES: 9
(i) [Nonprofit organizations that:] TO IMPLEMENT , IN WHOLE OR 10
IN PART, THE PROGRAM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT ; AND 11
[1. Meet the qualifications established in § 10–2004 of this 12
subtitle; and 13
2. Distribute the grant money to farmers markets and local 14
nonprofit organizations in accordance with this subtitle;] 15
(ii) [Nonprofit farmers markets to implement the Program at the 16
farmers markets; and] TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO A QUALIFIED NONPROFIT 17
ORGANIZATION OR OTHE R RESPONSIBLE PERSON TO IMPLEMENT , IN WHOLE OR IN 18
PART, THE PROGRAM. 19
[(iii) Local nonprofit organizations to implement the Program in 20
partnership with one or more local farmers markets.] 21
(2) A qualified nonprofit organization OR OTHER PERSON that receives [a 22
grant] FUNDS under this section: 23
(i) Shall distribute at least 60% of the [grant] money it receives 24
directly to participating farmers markets as funding for local market access coordinators 25
and matching dollars for purchases made with FMNP, SNAP, and WIC benefits; and 26
(ii) May not use more than 40% of the [grant] money it receives for 27
Program development, promotion and outreach, farmers market training and capacity 28
building, technical assistance, program data collection, evaluation, administration, and 29
reporting. 30
(g) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Governor shall include 31
in the annual budget bill an appropriation to the Fund as follows: 32
4 SENATE BILL 226
(i) For fiscal years 2021 through 2023, $100,000; and 1
(ii) For fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, $300,000. 2
(2) The appropriation required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall 3
be in addition to, and may not supplant, any funding appropriated to the [Marketing and 4
Promotion Division] AGRICULTURE AND SEAFOOD MARKETING PROGRAM in the 5
Department. 6
10–2004. 7
(a) (1) A nonprofit organization OR OTHER PERSON is qualified to receive [a 8
grant] FUNDS in accordance with this subtitle if the Department determines that the 9
[nonprofit] organization OR PERSON has a demonstrated record of: 10
(i) Designing and implementing successful healthy food incentive 11
programs that connect federal food benefits recipients with local producers; 12
(ii) Implementing funds distributing and reporting processes; 13
(iii) Providing training and technical assistance to farmers markets; 14
(iv) Conducting community outreach and data collection, including 15
customer surveys; and 16
(v) Providing a full accounting and administration of funds 17
distributed to farmers markets. 18
(2) In addition to the requirements under paragraph (1) of this subsection, 19
in awarding [a grant] FUNDS in accordance with this subtitle, the Department may 20
consider whether the [nonprofit] organization OR PERSON has a demonstrated record of 21
providing services in healthy food priority areas. 22
(b) Within 90 days after the end of a [grant cycle] CALENDAR YEAR , [a qualified 23
nonprofit] AN organization OR PERSON that received [a grant] FUNDS in accordance with 24
this subtitle shall submit a report to the Department that includes the following 25
information: 26
(1) The names and locations of Maryland farmers markets that received 27
funds under the Program; 28
(2) The dollar amount of funds awarded to each participating farmers 29
market; 30
SENATE BILL 226 5
(3) The dollar amount of FMNP, SNAP, and WIC benefits, and funds 1
provided under the Program that were spent at participating farmers markets, as well as 2
any unspent funds; 3
(4) The number of FMNP, SNAP, and WIC transactions carried out at 4
participating farmers markets; and 5
(5) The impact of the Program on increasing the quantity of fresh fruits 6
and vegetables consumed by FMNP, SNAP, and WIC families, as determined by customer 7
surveys. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2025. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.