New Jersey Senate Bill SJR21

New Jersey 2024-2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/24
• Refer: 1/9/24

Caption

Designates Tuesday in third full week of September each year as "Food Allergy and Hunger Awareness Day."

Impact

The resolution acknowledges the significant number of New Jersey residents who face food insecurity and the additional challenges posed by food allergies. As of 2019, over 1.15 million residents of New Jersey were food insecure, including approximately 375,000 children. This bill calls for increased awareness and understanding of how food allergies complicate access to safe and affordable food, aiming to push for further actions to address these health and nutritional disparities.

Summary

SJR21 is a Senate Joint Resolution introduced in New Jersey that designates the Tuesday of the third full week of September each year as 'Food Allergy and Hunger Awareness Day.' The resolution aims to bring attention to the serious issues surrounding food insecurity and food allergies, particularly how they affect children and families in the state. By raising awareness, the bill seeks to highlight the interconnectedness of these issues and encourage community and governmental support for those affected.

Contention

While the resolution is largely supportive and aims to promote awareness, the challenges it addresses are complex and multi-faceted. This can lead to differing opinions on the best approaches to tackle food insecurity and food allergies. There may be discussions around the adequacy of existing support systems and funding for initiatives that aid families dealing with food allergies, particularly as many do not qualify for federal nutrition programs. Stakeholders may debate how best to implement programs that can efficiently address the overlapping issues of food security and allergies.