‘Resolve, To Require the Department of Health and Human Services To Request a Waiver To Prohibit the Use of Food Supplement Benefits for the Purchase of Taxable Food Items and To Establish the Healthy Local Foods Initiative Pilot Program’

Sec. . ’

Sec. B-1. Healthy Local Foods Initiative Pilot Program established. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall establish the Healthy Local Foods Initiative Pilot Program, referred to in this Part as "the program," to engage in efforts to seek out and support, sustain or assist eligible applicants in submitting proposals for federal grants or funding to establish pilot projects designed to improve the diets of low-income persons enrolled in a statewide food supplement program administered as part of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3104, referred to in this Part as "project participants." For the purposes of this Part, "eligible applicant" means an applicant that meets the eligibility standards of the United States Department of Agriculture for accepting federal grants and funding through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under Title 22, section 3104; and be it further

Sec. B-2. Working group. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall convene and staff a working group of 9 members, referred to in this Part as "the working group," to assist the department in carrying out the purposes of the program. The Commissioner of Health and Human Services shall appoint the members of the working group, which must include a representative of the department; a representative of Healthy Maine Partnerships established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 412; a representative from a local food access network administered by a statewide land trust organization that works to protect farmland; a food retailer; a person with expertise in nutrition policy; a person with an advanced degree and expertise in food policy; a person engaged in the production and sale of local fruits or vegetables; an anti-hunger advocate; and a participant in the program. The working group shall make recommendations to the department regarding the best practices and criteria for evaluating proposals and ensuring qualification for federal grants or funding for pilot projects under section 3 of this Part and to assist the department in identifying one or more applicants that the working group determines are eligible applicants and are qualified to conduct a pilot project; and be it further

Sec. B-3. Pilot project criteria. Resolved: That evaluation criteria developed by the working group under section 2 of this Part must provide for objective assessment of the extent to which a proposed pilot project by an eligible applicant under section 1 of this Part will improve the diets of project participants and households, reduce obesity and support farmers and businesses in the State by increasing purchases of fruits and vegetables by project participants and promoting effective and efficient use of program benefits. The criteria must provide a basis for weighing the extent to which a pilot project explores ways to make locally produced fruit and vegetable products without added sugars, fats or oils more affordable at the point of purchase and provide incentives to enable households of project participants to obtain additional fruits and vegetables when purchasing such produce at a local retail store or farmers' market or through a community-supported agriculture or fisheries enterprise. An eligible applicant shall ensure that a project participant is informed of any educational services provided by the statewide food supplement program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3104 available in the participant's area promoting healthy food choices and related practical food preparation techniques for a person living within a limited budget; and be it further

Sec. B-4. Department support; assistance. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall consider working group criteria and recommendations in determining which eligible applicants' submissions for federal grants to support. The department may support more than one proposal for a pilot project under section 3 of this Part to implement the program. Upon determining proposals receiving support of the department, the department shall assist an eligible applicant receiving support in obtaining funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant Program or another appropriate funding source and contribute, within the limits of available funds, the matching funds required of the eligible applicant for obtaining funding pursuant to section 5 of this Part. The department may require that an eligible applicant receiving a grant match a contribution provided by the department to the extent the eligible applicant is able; and be it further

Sec. B-5. Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund established. Resolved: That the Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund, referred to in this Part as "the fund," is established as a revolving, nonlapsing fund administered by the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out the purposes of the program. The fund includes funds received from a hospital organization in the State pursuant to the implementation strategy to meet community health needs identified through a community health needs assessment under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 501(r), as amended, and any other funds that the department determines suitable; and be it further

Sec. B-6. Promotion by department. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall inform hospital organizations in the State of the opportunity to meet federal requirements pursuant to section 5 of this Part by providing funds to the fund and shall promote this opportunity; and be it further

Sec. B-7. Rules. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services may adopt routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements associated with any grant funds, to ensure fairness and accountability in the award and expenditure of a grant under this Part and to carry out the purposes of the program.’