Relating to increasing collaborative efforts to address food insecurity in the state, and making an appropriation

The bill increases the membership of the local food and farm program council, which advises the local food and farm program coordinator in carrying out the purposes and goals of the local food and farm program. Under the bill, the additional members include the director of the department of human services, or the director’s designee, for the purpose of providing expertise relating to efforts to address food insecurity including the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP); and the director of public health, or the director’s designee, for the purpose of providing expertise relating to efforts to address food insecurity including the double up food bucks program. Under the local food and farm program, the local food and farm program coordinator is created within Iowa state university as part of its cooperative extension service in agriculture and home economics. The coordinator is the primary state official charged with carrying out the purposes and goals of the program. The bill specifically adds to the duties of the coordinator in developing and administering the program, to improve collaboration among human services, health, agricultural, and other public and private agencies and organizations in the state with interest or expertise in addressing food insecurity. Collaborative efforts include increasing access to local, fresh, and healthy foods, especially for individuals with limited incomes, through activities including but not limited to the development and expansion of alternatives such as food hubs and double up food bucks program sites, and through expansion and increased public awareness of programs that address food insecurity such as the double up food bucks program. The bill makes an appropriation of $1 million from the general fund of the state to the department of agriculture and land stewardship for deposit in the local food and farm program fund for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2021, for the purposes of supporting collaborative efforts as described in the bill to address food insecurity and to increase access to local, fresh, and healthy foods, especially for individuals with limited incomes, through activities including but not limited to the development and expansion of alternatives such as food hubs and double up food bucks program sites, and through expansion and increased public awareness of programs that address food insecurity such as the double up food bucks program. Moneys deposited in the local food and farm program fund shall be allocated by the local food and farm program council. The local food and farm program coordinator shall collaborate with the department of human services, the department of public health, and specifically the healthiest state initiative to coordinate efforts in developing and expanding food hubs and double up food bucks program sites throughout the state and in increasing public awareness regarding programs that address food insecurity including the double up food bucks program. The local food and farm program coordinator shall include an evaluation of the progress of these activities in the coordinator’s required annual report submitted to the governor and the general assembly for the program. Moneys appropriated that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the end of the 2020-2021 fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available to support the purposes of the appropriation for the succeeding fiscal year.