Virginia House Bill HB866

Virginia 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 1/13/26

Caption

Food insecurity/hunger; Department of Social Services, et al., to develop statewide survey, report.

Impact

The development of this survey could potentially influence state policies related to hunger and access to food resources. By involving key state agencies and anti-hunger organizations in the design of the survey, HB 866 seeks to ensure that the collected data is comprehensive and relevant to the needs of the community. The findings will not only inform state-level decision-making but also facilitate comparisons with other states that have similar demographics, helping Virginia to benchmark its efforts against nationwide standards.

Summary

House Bill 866 directs several state agencies in Virginia, specifically the Department of Social Services, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Health, and the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, to convene a work group focused on developing a statewide survey on food insecurity and hunger. The primary goal of this legislation is to gather relevant data on food security within the state, which has become increasingly important following the cessation of the USDA Household Food Security Report. By establishing a survey, the bill aims to understand the current state of food access and security among Virginians.

Contention

While the bill appears to be a collaborative approach to addressing food insecurity, there may be discussions surrounding the efficacy of the proposed survey methods and data collection techniques. Stakeholders might debate the best practices for gathering such information, particularly in a state with diverse populations and varying levels of access to food resources. There may also be concerns regarding the implementation timelines and the potential for the survey to effectively influence policy changes based on its findings.