Bill Text: IA HR116 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution encouraging state and local governments to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and regional producers, including through Iowa's regional food systems, and recognizing the United States Congress and the United States Department of Agriculture for bolstering local and regional food system development.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 30-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-04-28 - Resolution filed, laid over under Rule 25. H.J. 783. [HR116 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HR116-Introduced.html
House Resolution 116 - Introduced PAG LIN HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. BY ISENHART, STAED, GASKILL, McCONKEY, LENSING, MASCHER, THEDE, WINCKLER, STUTSMAN, WOLFE, STECKMAN, ABDUL=SAMAD, SMITH, PRICHARD, T. TAYLOR, OURTH, KEARNS, BEARINGER, HEDDENS, FORBES, BROWN=POWERS, GAINES, KELLEY, COHOON, DUNKEL, OLDSON, RUNNING=MARQUARDT, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, JACOBY, and MEYER 1 1 A Resolution encouraging state and local governments 1 2 to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and 1 3 healthy food from local and regional producers, 1 4 including through Iowa's regional food systems, 1 5 and recognizing the United States Congress and 1 6 the United States Department of Agriculture 1 7 for bolstering local and regional food system 1 8 development. 1 9 WHEREAS, Iowa's Regional Food Systems Working Group, 1 10 comprised of 15 geographically based groups covering 1 11 91 Iowa counties, is a network established in 2003 to 1 12 support Iowans who are working together to build more 1 13 resilient food systems; and 1 14 WHEREAS, each regional group convenes multiple 1 15 stakeholders, including farm producers, food 1 16 processors, and other businesses, nonprofit 1 17 organizations, Iowa State University Extension 1 18 and Outreach, the Leopold Center for Sustainable 1 19 Agriculture, resource conservation and development 1 20 organizations, educational institutions, and other 1 21 state and local government entities to support local 1 22 and regional food system development; and 2 1 WHEREAS, in 2011 Iowa Acts, chapter 128, the General 2 2 Assembly created the Local Food and Farm Program and 2 3 the Local Food and Farm Program Fund administered by 2 4 the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, to 2 5 support the diversification of Iowa agriculture and 2 6 Iowa's economy through the development of integrated 2 7 local food systems to promote the production, sale, and 2 8 consumption of food grown in Iowa; and 2 9 WHEREAS, beginning in 2011, the General Assembly has 2 10 annually appropriated moneys to support the Local Food 2 11 and Farm Program administered under Iowa Code chapter 2 12 267A; and 2 13 WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published by 2 14 Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Iowa 2 15 farmers responding to a survey reported a more than 23 2 16 percent year=over=year increase in food sales through 2 17 direct=to=consumer transactions such as farmers' 2 18 markets and community=supported agriculture, as well 2 19 as through wholesalers and large=volume institutional 2 20 buyers such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools, 2 21 and hospitals; and 2 22 WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published 2 23 by Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 2 24 larger=scale buyers of local foods responding to a 2 25 survey reported increased purchases in local food 2 26 sales totaling more than $22 million in 2012=2013, 2 27 with 80 percent of those annual sales made to just 37 2 28 buyers, for an average of almost $250,000 in local food 2 29 purchases per buyer per year; and 2 30 WHEREAS, according to a 2016 report published by 3 1 the Union of Concerned Scientists, if all intermediate 3 2 and institutional buyers in Iowa purchased local food 3 3 at the same level as survey respondents, more than $3 3 4 billion in new economic activity would be generated for 3 5 the state's economy, supporting 16,997 midsize farms, 3 6 and supporting 178,000 total jobs in Iowa, including 3 7 49,000 full=time farm jobs; and 3 8 WHEREAS, targeted government procurement policies 3 9 have been successfully used to spur economic growth, 3 10 increase employment, develop rural communities, foster 3 11 the creation of value chain partnerships and promote 3 12 small businesses, including businesses operated by 3 13 families, young entrepreneurs, veterans, minorities, 3 14 persons with disabilities, ex=offenders, and others 3 15 underrepresented within the private sector; and 3 16 WHEREAS, Iowa has established a successful 3 17 high=profile precedent for using a procurement policy 3 18 to promote Iowa agriculture through a commitment at all 3 19 levels of government to use bio=based fuels; and 3 20 WHEREAS, in calendar year 2015, 1,110,278 gallons 3 21 of E=10 ethanol blended gasoline and 169,951 gallons 3 22 of E=85 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by the 3 23 State Department of Transportation for use in vehicles 3 24 by departmental and local government employees; and 3 25 WHEREAS, in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, 3 26 and ending June 30, 2015, 883,281 gallons of E=10 3 27 ethanol blended gasoline and 222,294 gallons of E=85 3 28 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by a number of 3 29 other state agencies including but not limited to the 3 30 Department of Administrative Services, the Department 4 1 of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections, and 4 2 the Department of Human Services for use in vehicles by 4 3 agency employees; and 4 4 WHEREAS, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative 4 5 instituted by Governor Terry Branstad is dedicated 4 6 to addressing the nutrition deficit associated 4 7 with the state's ranking last in the per capita 4 8 consumption of fruit and vegetables, as measured by the 4 9 Gallup=Healthways Well=Being Index; and 4 10 WHEREAS, government procurement preferences focused 4 11 on small local food producers will have ancillary 4 12 benefits, such as increasing the availability of 4 13 fresher and healthier foods; improving nutrition 4 14 among populations vulnerable to diabetes, obesity, and 4 15 other chronic health conditions; reducing negative 4 16 impacts associated with soil erosion and water 4 17 pollution; as well as diminishing the use of energy 4 18 resources associated with damaging climate impacts; NOW 4 19 THEREFORE, 4 20 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 4 21 That the House of Representatives strongly encourages 4 22 universities under the direction of the State Board of 4 23 Regents to increase the direct purchase of nutritious 4 24 and healthy food from local and regional producers, 4 25 including through food hubs created with the support of 4 26 Iowa's expanding Local Food and Farm Program; and 4 27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 4 28 Representatives strongly encourages other state and 4 29 local government entities including the Department 4 30 of Administrative Services and agencies purchasing 5 1 through that department, the Department for the Blind, 5 2 community colleges, and the Department of Corrections 5 3 and associated institutions, as well as counties, 5 4 cities, and public schools to increase the direct 5 5 purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and 5 6 regional producers, including through food hubs created 5 7 with the support of Iowa's expanding Local Food and 5 8 Farm Program; and 5 9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 5 10 Representatives strongly encourages state and local 5 11 entities to establish procurement goals for the 5 12 purchase of healthy and nutritious food grown by 5 13 local and regional producers and to become active 5 14 participants in a regional food system working 5 15 group; and 5 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 5 17 Representatives urges all public entities engaged in 5 18 cooperative or coordinated food purchasing to establish 5 19 procurement specifications requiring vendors to source 5 20 a designated percentage of food from local and regional 5 21 producers in order to be recognized as a qualified 5 22 bidder; and 5 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 5 24 Representatives recognizes the United States Congress, 5 25 the United States Department of Agriculture, and the 5 26 Honorable Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of 5 27 Agriculture, for supporting programs to bolster local 5 28 and regional food systems development, including 5 29 through the federal Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food 5 30 initiative and related undertakings, such as the Food 6 1 Insecurity and Nutrition Incentive Grant Program; and 6 2 the Farm to School Grant Program; and 6 3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 6 4 Resolution be sent to the Governor, the President 6 5 of the State Board of Regents, the Director of the 6 6 Department of Administrative Services, the Director 6 7 of the Department for the Blind, the Director of 6 8 the Department of Education, the Iowa Association 6 9 of Community College Trustees, the Director of the 6 10 Department of Corrections, the Iowa State Association 6 11 of Counties, and the Iowa League of Cities; and 6 12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 6 13 Resolution be sent to the President of the United 6 14 States, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, 6 15 the President and Secretary of the United States 6 16 Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States 6 17 House of Representatives, and to the members of Iowa's 6 18 congressional delegation. 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