BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2385
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Date of Hearing: April 30, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
Susan Talamantes Eggman, Chair
AB 2385 (Ting) - As Amended: April 8, 2014
SUBJECT : Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program.
SUMMARY : Creates the Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program
(MMNIP) and account within the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA); and, creates new definitions and requirements
for CDFA to manage the program. Specifically, this bill :
1)Establishes the MMNIP within CDFA for encouraging the purchase
and consumption of fresh California fruits, nuts, and vegetables
(products) by directly linking producers with nutritional
benefit clients (clients).
2)States the legislative intent of MMNIP is to double the
purchasing value of clients when purchasing products, as
specified.
3)Defines "nutrition benefit client" to mean a person who receives
services or payments through any of the following:
a) CalFresh, as defined in state statutes;
b) Federal WIC (women, infants and children) Farmers' Market
nutrition Act of 1992;
c) Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, as specified in
federal code; and,
d) Supplemental Security Income or State Supplementary
Payment, as specified in federal code.
4)Defines "qualified entity" to mean a certified farmers' market,
an association of certified producers, or a nonprofit
organization representing a collective or association of
certified producers authorized to accept federal Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from clients at a
farmers' market. Requires certified producers to be certified
by a county agricultural commissioner.
5)Creates the MMNIP account within CDFA to collect funds from the
federal Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives Grant Program,
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which is part of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill), used
to provide grants under MMNIP and administer MMNIP according to
the following:
a) Requires MMNIP funds be spent in accordance with federal
regulations, yet to be developed and upon a federal
appropriation, to be awarded in the form of grants to
qualified entities for market match programs;
b) Requires CDFA to establish minimum standards, funding
schedules and procedures for awarding grants, in consultation
with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and
other specified parties of interest; and,
c) Requires prioritizing grants based upon, but not limited
to, the degree of existence of the following demographic
conditions and character of the communities in which direct
product sales are made by authorized vendors operating with
qualified entities:
i) The number of people eligible for, or receiving,
nutrition benefit program services;
ii) The prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and other
diet-related illnesses;
iii) The availability, or access to, products; and,
iv) The qualified entities with the greatest efficiencies
in administration of a market match program.
EXISTING LAW establishes a statewide program, CalFresh,
administered by state and local agencies, that enables recipients
of aid and other low-income households to receive federal food
assistance benefits; provides eligibility requirements conforming
with federal rules and regulations; and, reporting requirements.
Existing federal law establishes SNAP, formerly the food stamp
program, administered by USDA, which imposes specified rules on
specified program participants and limits benefits based on those
rules. The Farm Bill was recently reauthorized, enacted February
7, 2014, and establishes state grants for programs that supplement
nutrition benefits that are spent on products at farmers' markets,
based upon specified criteria. USDA is in the process of
developing the regulations for implementation of the Farm Bill.
The law contains various provisions that affect SNAP eligibility,
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benefits, and program administration, including changes mandated
by the law and those that provide additional flexibility for state
agencies. All provisions in the Farm Bill related to SNAP are
effective as of the date of enactment, unless otherwise stated.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. Legislative Counsel has keyed this bill
fiscal.
COMMENTS : According to the author, the new Farm Bill had
unprecedented cuts to SNAP, WIC and other "safety net" programs
that serve people in need, but the MMNIP was expanded to provided
$100 million in grants over five years. Further, California is in
position to benefit from this increase due to the roughly 700
certified farmers' market and over 2,200 certified
producers.
The sponsor, Roots of Change, state that they used $1.9 million
from a CDFA Specialty Block Grant, to create and fund a Market
Match Pilot Program (MMPP) from 2009 to 2013. This resulted in 14
community-based partners now operating in 17 counties,
implementing MMPP in 140 markets, serving 37,000 families.
Currently, MMPP is funded only by philanthropic sources at a lower
level, thereby limiting the scope and that benefit to those in
need. The sponsor states that in 2013, $238,000 in the MMPP
generated $1.54 million in purchases of products. They estimate
that a $2 million grant from USDA could generate purchases of $18
million, serve 100,000 clients, and generate hundreds of farm
jobs.
Currently, it is estimated that some 11.8 million people are
eligible for SNAP benefits in California, with some 4.2 million
participating in the CalFresh program. This reflects the need for
fresh products purchasing options.
Due to drought conditions here in California and reduced water
deliveries, it is likely that food prices will be increasing and
the benefit, while significant, may not be as great as predicted.
Further, if a pilot program already exists, the committee may wish
to consider if legislation is needed to create a program that will
be based upon federal rules and regulations that are yet to be
developed, rather than state statutes.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
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AB 2385
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Roots of Change (Sponsor)
Adam/Vermont & Gardena CFMS
Agriculture and Land-based Training
Association, Salinas
Alchemist Community Development
Corporation
California Alliance with Family Farmers
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Food Policy Advocates
California Hunger Action Coalition
California Partnership
California State Grange
Center for Food Safety, San Francisco
Charles Drew University of Medicine
and Science
City of Santa Monica - Pico Farmers' Market
City Slicker Farms, Oakland
Coastside Farmers' Markets
Community Health Councils, Inc., Los Angeles
Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Markets
CUESA, San Francisco
Ecology Center, Berkeley
Farm Fresh to You and Capay Organic
Farm to Pantry
Food Access Coalition
Food Chain Workers Alliance, Los Angeles
Heart of the City Farmers' Market,
San Francisco
Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles
Hunger Action Los Angeles
Innercity Struggle
Kern County Network for Children
Locally Delicious, Humboldt County
Los Angeles Community Action
Network
Mar Vista Farmers' Market
Marin Food Policy Council
People's Grocery
Point Reyes Farmers' Market
Public Health Institute
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno
Rominger Brothers Farms, Inc.
Sierra Orchards
Slow Food California
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Social Justice Learning Institute
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Los
Angeles
Thai Community Development
Center, Los Angeles
The Greener Good Farmers' Markets,
Long Beach
United Way of Kern County
Valley Farmers' Market Association
VELA, Inc.
Visalia Farmers Market
Women Organizing Resources, Knowledge,
and Services
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Jim Collin / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084