BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2720
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Date of Hearing: April 14, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
Cathleen Galgiani, Chair
AB 2720 (John A. Perez) - As Introduced: February 19, 2010
SUBJECT : Public health: food justice.
SUMMARY : Requires the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA), by July 1, 2011, to make recommendations to
the Legislature, after consultation with the State Department of
Public Health (DPH) and the State Department of Social Services
(DSS), on actions needed to promote food justice with
California.
EXISTING LAW makes the legislative determination that the
provisions of the statutes of the Food and Agricultural Code
(FAC) are to exercise the power of this state for the purpose of
promoting and protecting the agricultural industry of the state,
and for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare.
(FAC Section 3)
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed "fiscal" by Legislative
Counsel.
COMMENTS : There has been an increasing problem within urban and
rural communities in California, and nation-wide, to maintain
the access to grocery stores and the availability of fresh
produce, creating what is called "food deserts." To this end,
the Obama Administration released details of an over $400
million Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which will bring
grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved
urban and rural communities across the nation. The initiative
is a partnership between the federal Departments of the
Treasury, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.
The Healthy Food Financing Initiative will promote a range of
interventions that expand access to nutritious foods, including
developing and equipping grocery stores and other small
businesses and retailers selling healthy food in communities
that currently lack these options. Residents of these
communities, which are sometimes called "food deserts" and are
often found in economically distressed areas, are typically
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served by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that
offer little or no fresh produce. Lack of healthy, affordable
food options can lead to higher levels of obesity and other
diet-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and
cancer.
Through this new multi-year Healthy Food Financing Initiative,
and by engaging with the private sector, the Obama
Administration will work to eliminate food deserts across the
country within seven years. The intent of the first year of
funding is to leverage enough investments to begin expanding
healthy foods options into as many as one-fifth of the nation's
food deserts, and create thousands of jobs in urban and rural
communities across the nation.
According to the author, AB 2720 is intended to coordinate the
efforts to maximize the Healthy Food Financing Initiative in
California; as such, it is a work-in-progress as they continue
to receive suggestions and comments on potential amendments. It
is anticipated that should AB 2720 pass this Committee, it is
likely to be amended in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations
to address the suggestions by industry and others.
Preliminary concepts for the amendments are as follows:
1)Findings and declarations are to be expanded to include:
a) Acknowledging the importance of protecting our
productive farmlands for future generations;
b) Acknowledging that access to healthy food items is a
basic human right and lack of healthy, affordable food
options can result in higher levels of obesity and other
diet-related diseases. Communities where access to
affordable, high quality, and nutritious foods is limited
are known as food deserts; and,
c) Opportunities for increasing the number of grocery
stores, urban farm stands, farmers' markets, and direct
farmer to consumer marketing activities in underserved
communities should be actively pursued and fostered to
ensure all Californians have access to healthy foods.
2)Direct CDFA, in consultation with the State DPH and the DSS,
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to coordinate the effort to maximize the funding opportunities
provided by the federal 2010 Healthy Food Financing
Initiative. This national initiative contains $400 million in
annual funding and is intended to expand access to nutritious
foods in underserved urban and rural communities and eliminate
food deserts across the country within seven years.
RELATED LEGISLATION : Congressional House Resolution 4971 (Ms.
Kaptur of Ohio), proposes to increase the emphasis on urban
agricultural issues in the United States Department of
Agriculture (Department) through the establishment of a new
office to ensure that Department authorities are used to
effectively encourage local agricultural production and increase
the availability of fresh food in urban areas, particularly
underserved communities experiencing hunger, poor nutrition,
obesity, food insecurity, and for other purposes.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Jim Collin / AGRI. / (916) 319-2084