BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2002 By: Darby Agriculture & Livestock Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee of the following conflict between the San Antonio Food Bank (SAFB) and the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank (CVRFB). In 2023, SAFB, a partner of Feeding America (FA), sought to absorb CVRFB as a branch, effectively dissolving its independent status. The CVRFB board rejected this request, triggering a major operational shift. In response, SAFB reassigned agency orders, government funding, and control of eight counties to itself, reducing CVRFB's service area to just five counties. Under this new structure, SAFB began direct deliveries to its eight counties, while CVRFB handled storage and distribution for its remaining five counties. Previously, CVRFB had managed logistics for all 13 counties, ensuring consistent service. To maintain its regional role, CVRFB proposed serving as the last-mile distributor for SAFB, continuing its Veggie Van program to provide fresh produce across all 13 counties as well as its backpack program for needy children. CVRFB also sought to supplement distributions with items SAFB did not provide. However, SAFB rejected this proposal, barring CVRFB from offering services or fundraising in SAFB's eight counties. By June 2024, CVRFB fully separated from FA after failing to negotiate a role in serving all 13 counties. This separation led to the loss of key resources, including participation in the Department of Agriculture (TDA) grant program for the distribution of surplus agricultural products. H.B. 2002 seeks to help protect the independence of local food banks and charities by requiring a nonprofit organization that receives a grant under that TDA program to make surplus agricultural products and other grant resources available to any food bank operating in five or more counties in Texas. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 2002 amends the Agriculture Code to change the program the operation of which makes a nonprofit organization eligible, among other criteria, to receive a grant under the Department of Agriculture's grant program for the distribution of surplus agricultural products from a program that coordinates the collection and transportation of surplus agricultural products to a statewide network of food banks that provide food to needy or low-income individuals to a program that coordinates the collection and transportation of such products to food banks in Texas that provide food to such individuals. The bill requires a nonprofit organization that receives such a grant to make surplus agricultural products and other grant resources available to any food bank operating in five or more counties in Texas. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 2002
By: Darby
Agriculture & Livestock
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 2002
By: Darby
Agriculture & Livestock
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee of the following conflict between the San Antonio Food Bank (SAFB) and the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank (CVRFB). In 2023, SAFB, a partner of Feeding America (FA), sought to absorb CVRFB as a branch, effectively dissolving its independent status. The CVRFB board rejected this request, triggering a major operational shift. In response, SAFB reassigned agency orders, government funding, and control of eight counties to itself, reducing CVRFB's service area to just five counties. Under this new structure, SAFB began direct deliveries to its eight counties, while CVRFB handled storage and distribution for its remaining five counties. Previously, CVRFB had managed logistics for all 13 counties, ensuring consistent service. To maintain its regional role, CVRFB proposed serving as the last-mile distributor for SAFB, continuing its Veggie Van program to provide fresh produce across all 13 counties as well as its backpack program for needy children. CVRFB also sought to supplement distributions with items SAFB did not provide. However, SAFB rejected this proposal, barring CVRFB from offering services or fundraising in SAFB's eight counties. By June 2024, CVRFB fully separated from FA after failing to negotiate a role in serving all 13 counties. This separation led to the loss of key resources, including participation in the Department of Agriculture (TDA) grant program for the distribution of surplus agricultural products. H.B. 2002 seeks to help protect the independence of local food banks and charities by requiring a nonprofit organization that receives a grant under that TDA program to make surplus agricultural products and other grant resources available to any food bank operating in five or more counties in Texas.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 2002 amends the Agriculture Code to change the program the operation of which makes a nonprofit organization eligible, among other criteria, to receive a grant under the Department of Agriculture's grant program for the distribution of surplus agricultural products from a program that coordinates the collection and transportation of surplus agricultural products to a statewide network of food banks that provide food to needy or low-income individuals to a program that coordinates the collection and transportation of such products to food banks in Texas that provide food to such individuals. The bill requires a nonprofit organization that receives such a grant to make surplus agricultural products and other grant resources available to any food bank operating in five or more counties in Texas.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee of the following conflict between the San Antonio Food Bank (SAFB) and the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank (CVRFB). In 2023, SAFB, a partner of Feeding America (FA), sought to absorb CVRFB as a branch, effectively dissolving its independent status. The CVRFB board rejected this request, triggering a major operational shift. In response, SAFB reassigned agency orders, government funding, and control of eight counties to itself, reducing CVRFB's service area to just five counties. Under this new structure, SAFB began direct deliveries to its eight counties, while CVRFB handled storage and distribution for its remaining five counties. Previously, CVRFB had managed logistics for all 13 counties, ensuring consistent service. To maintain its regional role, CVRFB proposed serving as the last-mile distributor for SAFB, continuing its Veggie Van program to provide fresh produce across all 13 counties as well as its backpack program for needy children. CVRFB also sought to supplement distributions with items SAFB did not provide. However, SAFB rejected this proposal, barring CVRFB from offering services or fundraising in SAFB's eight counties. By June 2024, CVRFB fully separated from FA after failing to negotiate a role in serving all 13 counties. This separation led to the loss of key resources, including participation in the Department of Agriculture (TDA) grant program for the distribution of surplus agricultural products.
H.B. 2002 seeks to help protect the independence of local food banks and charities by requiring a nonprofit organization that receives a grant under that TDA program to make surplus agricultural products and other grant resources available to any food bank operating in five or more counties in Texas.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2002 amends the Agriculture Code to change the program the operation of which makes a nonprofit organization eligible, among other criteria, to receive a grant under the Department of Agriculture's grant program for the distribution of surplus agricultural products from a program that coordinates the collection and transportation of surplus agricultural products to a statewide network of food banks that provide food to needy or low-income individuals to a program that coordinates the collection and transportation of such products to food banks in Texas that provide food to such individuals. The bill requires a nonprofit organization that receives such a grant to make surplus agricultural products and other grant resources available to any food bank operating in five or more counties in Texas.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.