A5462

An Act concerning food security and amending and supplementing P.L.2021, c.242.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 2 of P.L.2021, c.242 (C.52:27J-2) is amended to read as follows:

2. As used in [this act] P.L.2021, c.242 (C.52:27J-1 et seq.):

“Emergency food organization” means a food bank which receives funding for Food and Hunger Programs pursuant to an annual State appropriations act.

"Food insecurity program" means a nutrition program in this State that provides nutrition assistance to individuals without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food and includes, but is not limited to, the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children, the Commodity Supplemental Food program, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, the Child and Adult Care Program, and the United States Department of Agriculture's school nutrition program.

(cf: P.L.2021, c.242, s.2)

2. (New section) a. Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, of the monies appropriated to emergency food organizations pursuant to an annual appropriations act:

(1) 10 percent of each emergency food organization’s funding allocation shall be expended on New Jersey agricultural products, and may include expenditures related to agricultural capital investment and innovation; and

(2) up to 20 percent of each emergency food organization’s funding allocation may be used for administrative and staffing costs and the purchase of capital investments or infrastructure, including for the purchase of necessary technology, vehicles, and storage requirements including refrigeration or dry space.

b. Each emergency food organization, in consultation with the Office of the Food Security Advocate, shall develop a plan for the support of local distribution agencies, which plan shall include parameters for the awarding of grants and evaluation standards that are aligned with the practices and initiatives of the Office of the Food Security Advocate. Each plan shall be tailored to the service area and needs of the emergency food organization, and shall provide for purchasing on behalf of local distribution agencies, the awarding of cash funds to local distribution agencies, or reimbursements to local distribution agencies based on costs incurred by each agency.

c. Each emergency food organization shall provide a written report, on a quarterly basis, to the Office of the Food Security Advocate, which details the following:

(1) the aggregate total of financial support provided to local distribution agencies;

(2) the name of each of local distribution agency that received funding or other assistance in the specific quarter and the amount of funding and assistance received; and

(3) an aggregated list summarizing the capital purchases made by emergency food organizations and local distribution agencies in the quarter.

d. If an emergency food organization fails to file a quarterly report, within 10 days after the close of a quarter, that emergency food organization’s allotment of funding shall be automatically suspended until the required quarterly report is received by the Office of the Food Security Advocate.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would amend and supplement P.L.2021, c.483 (C.52:27J-1 et seq.), which established the Office of the Food Security Advocate. The bill would establish in statute certain conditions concerning the use of monies appropriated to emergency food organizations pursuant to an annual appropriations act.

The bill defines “emergency food organization” as a food bank which receives funding for Food and Hunger Programs pursuant to an annual State appropriations act. P.L.2022, c.49, i.e., the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2023, provided that the amount appropriated for Food and Hunger Programs would be directly distributed as follows: 53 percent to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey; 15 percent to the Food Bank of South Jersey; 15 percent to Fulfill Monmouth & Ocean; 11 percent to the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank; three percent to Norwescap; and three percent to the Southern Regional Food Distribution Center.

Under this bill, (1) 10 percent of each emergency food organization’s funding allocation would be required to be expended on New Jersey agricultural products, including expenditures related to agricultural capital investment and innovation, and (2) up to 20 percent of each emergency food organization’s funding allocation may be used for the administrative and staffing costs and purchase of capital investments or infrastructure, including for the purchase of necessary technology, vehicles, and storage requirements, including refrigeration or dry space.

The bill would require each emergency food organization, in consultation with the Office of the Food Security Advocate, to develop a plan for the support of local food distribution agencies (i.e., food pantries, soup kitchens, and religious organizations that provide free food), which plan which would be tailored to the service area and needs of the specific emergency food organization. In addition, the bill would require each emergency food organization to prepare and submit a written report, on a quarterly basis, to the Office of the Food Security Advocate. If an emergency food organization fails to file a quarterly report, within 10 days after the close of a quarter, the bill provides that the emergency food organization’s allotment of funding would be automatically suspended until the quarterly report is received by the Office of the Food Security Advocate.