Florida Senate - 2022 SB 7028
By the Committee on Agriculture
575-01999-22 20227028__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Food Policy Advisory Council;
3 creating s. 500.82, F.S.; creating the council adjunct
4 to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
5 Services; providing the purpose and membership of the
6 council; requiring the council to meet at least
7 quarterly; providing for per diem and travel expenses
8 for council members; providing the duties of the
9 council; requiring the council to submit an annual
10 report to the Governor and the Legislature by a
11 specified date; providing requirements for the report;
12 providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Section 500.82, Florida Statutes, is created to
17 read:
18 500.82 Food Policy Advisory Council.—
19 (1) CREATION.—The Food Policy Advisory Council, an advisory
20 council as defined in s. 20.03(7), is created adjunct to the
21 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Except as
22 provided in this section, the council shall operate in a manner
23 consistent with s. 20.052.
24 (2) PURPOSE.—The purposes of the council are to serve as a
25 forum for presenting, investigating, and evaluating barriers to
26 food access for the residents of this state and for identifying
27 solutions to such barriers.
28 (3) MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS; COMPENSATION.—
29 (a) The Food Policy Advisory Council shall be composed of
30 the following members:
31 1. The Commissioner of Agriculture or his or her designee.
32 2. The State Surgeon General or his or her designee.
33 3. The Commissioner of Education or his or her designee.
34 4. A person actively participating in the growing of food
35 in this state, appointed by the President of the Senate.
36 5. A food retailer, appointed by the President of the
37 Senate.
38 6. A representative of an anti-hunger organization,
39 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
40 7. Each of the following food bank representatives, or his
41 or her designee:
42 a. The president of Farm Share.
43 b. The executive director of Feeding Florida.
44 c. The chief executive officer of Second Harvest of the Big
45 Bend.
46 d. The chief executive officer of Feeding the Gulf Coast.
47 e. The food bank director of Florida Gateway Food Bank.
48 f. The president of Feeding Northeast Florida.
49 g. The chief executive officer of Bread of the Mighty Food
50 Bank.
51 h. The president of First Step Food Bank.
52 i. The president of Second Harvest of Central Florida.
53 j. The president of Feeding Tampa Bay.
54 k. The chief executive officer of All Faiths Food Bank.
55 l. The president of the Treasure Coast Food Bank.
56 m. The president of the Harry Chapin Food Bank.
57 n. The president of Feeding South Florida.
58 (b) The council shall elect by a two-thirds vote of the
59 members one member to serve as chair of the council.
60 (c) A majority of the members of the council constitutes a
61 quorum.
62 (d) The council shall meet at least once a quarter at the
63 call of the chair.
64 (e) Council members shall serve without compensation but
65 may be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses pursuant to
66 s. 112.061 incurred while attending meetings of the council.
67 (4) DUTIES.—The duties of the council include all of the
68 following:
69 (a) Identifying barriers to food security in this state.
70 (b) Developing a food system policy in this state which
71 takes into consideration economic and transportation challenges
72 faced by Floridians who are food insecure.
73 (c) Submitting recommendations to the Governor, the
74 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
75 Representatives for increasing access to food in this state.
76 (5) REPORT.—By September 1 of each year, beginning in 2023,
77 the council shall submit a report to the Governor, the President
78 of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
79 containing its findings pursuant to subsection (4) and
80 recommendations on how to best increase access to food in this
81 state.
82 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.