| 1 | 1 | | 89R1934 JDK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Morales of Harris H.B. No. 231 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study on food deserts and their disproportionate |
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| 10 | 10 | | impact among communities of color. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Department" means the Department of State Health |
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| 14 | 14 | | Services. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Food desert" means a geographic area in this |
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| 16 | 16 | | state the department determines is an area with limited access to |
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| 17 | 17 | | healthy and nutritious food. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The department, in collaboration with any appropriate |
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| 19 | 19 | | state agency, shall conduct a study on food deserts and any |
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| 20 | 20 | | disproportionate impact food deserts have on communities of color. |
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| 21 | 21 | | In conducting the study, the department shall: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) investigate the causes of food deserts; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) investigate the health effects of food deserts; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) investigate the financial impact of food deserts; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) compare access to healthy and nutritious food |
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| 26 | 26 | | related to an individual's: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) age; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) race and ethnicity; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (C) socioeconomic background; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (5) investigate the origins of any disproportionate |
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| 31 | 31 | | impact food deserts have on communities of color. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) Based on the results of the study conducted under this |
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| 33 | 33 | | section, the department shall develop recommendations for |
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| 34 | 34 | | legislative and other action to: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) address disparities in food access among |
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| 36 | 36 | | communities of color; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) increase access to healthy and nutritious food. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (d) Not later than September 1, 2026, the department shall |
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| 39 | 39 | | prepare and submit to each standing committee of the legislature |
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| 40 | 40 | | with primary jurisdiction over the Department of State Health |
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| 41 | 41 | | Services a written report summarizing the results of the study and |
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| 42 | 42 | | including the recommendations developed under this section. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (e) This Act expires September 1, 2027. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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