Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB353 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0353
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 353
8	8	C9 5lr0862
9	9
10	10	By: Senators Salling and Watson
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Finance
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
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18	18	Food Deserts Workgroup – Establishment 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing the Food Deserts Workgroup to study and make 3
21	21	recommendations regarding solutions to eliminate food deserts in the State; and 4
22	22	generally relating to the Food Deserts Workgroup. 5
23	23
24	24	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
25	25	That: 7
26	26
27	27	(a) There is a Food Deserts Workgroup. 8
28	28
29	29	(b) The Workgroup consists of the following members: 9
30	30
31	31	(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 10
32	32	the Senate; 11
33	33
34	34	(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 12
35	35	the House; 13
36	36
37	37	(3) the Secretary of Aging, or the Secretary’s designee; 14
38	38
39	39	(4) the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary’s designee; 15
40	40
41	41	(5) the Secretary of Commerce, or the Secretary’s designee; 16
42	42
43	43	(6) the Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee; 17
44	44
45	45	(7) the Secretary of Housing and Community Development , or the 18
46	46	Secretary’s designee; 19
47	47
48	48	(8) the Secretary of Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; 20 2 SENATE BILL 353
49	49
50	50
51	51
52	52	(9) the Secretary of Planning, or the Secretary’s designee; 1
53	53
54	54	(10) the State Superintendent of Schools, or the State Superintendent’s 2
55	55	designee; 3
56	56
57	57	(11) one member of the Maryland Food System Resiliency Council, 4
58	58	designated by the Secretary of Emergency Management; 5
59	59
60	60	(12) one representative of the Maryland Municipal League, designated by 6
61	61	the Chief Executive Officer of the Maryland Municipal League; and 7
62	62
63	63	(13) the following representatives of the Maryland Association of Counties, 8
64	64	designated by the Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Counties: 9
65	65
66	66	(i) one representative from a rural county; 10
67	67
68	68	(ii) one representative from a suburban county; and 11
69	69
70	70	(iii) one representative from Baltimore City. 12
71	71
72	72	(c) The members of the Workgroup shall elect the chair of the Workgroup. 13
73	73
74	74	(d) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall provide staff 14
75	75	for the Workgroup. 15
76	76
77	77	(e) A member of the Workgroup: 16
78	78
79	79	(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 17
80	80
81	81	(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 18
82	82	Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 19
83	83
84	84	(f) The Workgroup shall: 20
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86	86	(1) conduct an analysis of food deserts in the State that includes: 21
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88	88	(i) a discussion of the overall concept of food deserts and the location 22
89	89	of food deserts in the State; 23
90	90
91	91	(ii) an examination of the health impacts of food deserts on the local 24
92	92	population, including any related environmental concerns, and the impacts of food deserts 25
93	93	on the economy; 26
94	94
95	95	(iii) an assessment of strategies to attract grocery stores and 27
96	96	supermarket retailers to identified food deserts and any associated costs, including a review 28 SENATE BILL 353 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	of existing incentives and available financing programs in this State and in other states; 1
100	100	and 2
101	101
102	102	(iv) any other topic, as determined by the Workgroup, related to food 3
103	103	deserts; and 4
104	104
105	105	(2) prepare a report that includes: 5
106	106
107	107	(i) key findings from the Workgroup’s analysis conducted under 6
108	108	paragraph (1) of this subsection; and 7
109	109
110	110	(ii) recommendations regarding solutions to eliminate food deserts 8
111	111	in the State. 9
112	112
113	113	(g) On or before November 1, 2025, the Workgroup shall submit the report of its 10
114	114	findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 11
115	115	State Government Article, the General Assembly, the Senate Committee on Education, 12
116	116	Energy, and the Environment, the Senate Finance Committee, the House Economic 13
117	117	Matters Committee, and the House Environment and Transportation Committee. 14
118	118
119	119	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shal l take effect July 15
120	120	1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and, at the end of June 30, 2026, this 16
121	121	Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and of no 17
122	122	further force and effect. 18