Bill Text: MN SF2619 | 2013-2014 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Healthy Eating, Here at Home program establishment and appropriation
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-20 - Author added Eken [SF2619 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2013-SF2619-Introduced.html
1.2relating to human services; establishing the Healthy Eating, Here at Home
1.3program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
1.4Statutes, chapter 256E.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [256E.345] HEALTHY EATING, HERE AT HOME PROGRAM.
1.7 Subdivision 1. Establishment. The Healthy Eating, Here at Home program is
1.8established to provide incentives for low-income Minnesotans to use Supplemental
1.9Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for healthy purchases at Minnesota-based
1.10farmers' markets.
1.11 Subd. 2. Definitions. (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
1.12(b) "Healthy Eating, Here at Home program" means a program administered by the
1.13commissioner of human services to provide incentives for low-income Minnesotans to use
1.14SNAP benefits for healthy purchases at Minnesota-based farmers' markets.
1.15(c) "Healthy purchases" means fruit, vegetables, or meat available for purchase at a
1.16Minnesota-based farmers' market.
1.17(d) "Minnesota-based farmers' market" means a physical market located within the
1.18borders of the state of Minnesota.
1.19(e) "Voucher" means a physical or electronic credit.
1.20(f) "Eligible household" means an individual or family that is determined to be
1.21eligible for SNAP.
1.22 Subd. 3. Grants. The commissioner shall allocate grant funds to nonprofit
1.23organizations that work with Minnesota-based farmers' markets to provide vouchers to
1.24SNAP participants who use electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards for healthy purchases.
2.1The commissioner must award grants based on a plan for voucher distribution submitted
2.2to the commissioner by a nonprofit organization that must equitably distribute funds to
2.3achieve geographic balance. The plan must document the organization's capacity to manage
2.4programming and outreach and must document specific efforts by the organization to
2.5reach eligible households comprised of seniors and eligible households in rural Minnesota.
2.6 Subd. 4. Household eligibility; participation. To be eligible for a Healthy Eating,
2.7Here at Home voucher, an eligible household must meet the federal SNAP eligibility
2.8requirements.
2.9 Subd. 5. Permissible uses; information provided. An eligible household may use
2.10a voucher toward healthy purchases at Minnesota-based farmers' markets. Every eligible
2.11household that receives a voucher must be informed of the allowable uses of the voucher.
2.12 Subd. 6. Program reporting. The nonprofit organizations that receive grant funds
2.13must report annually to the commissioner with information regarding the operation of the
2.14program, including the number of vouchers issued and the number of people served. To
2.15the extent practicable, the nonprofit organizations must report on detailed usage of the
2.16vouchers and must evaluate program effectiveness.
2.17 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
2.18$500,000 in fiscal year 2015 is appropriated from the general fund to the
2.19commissioner of human services for the Healthy Eating, Here at Home program under
2.20section 1.
1.3program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
1.4Statutes, chapter 256E.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [256E.345] HEALTHY EATING, HERE AT HOME PROGRAM.
1.7 Subdivision 1. Establishment. The Healthy Eating, Here at Home program is
1.8established to provide incentives for low-income Minnesotans to use Supplemental
1.9Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for healthy purchases at Minnesota-based
1.10farmers' markets.
1.11 Subd. 2. Definitions. (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
1.12(b) "Healthy Eating, Here at Home program" means a program administered by the
1.13commissioner of human services to provide incentives for low-income Minnesotans to use
1.14SNAP benefits for healthy purchases at Minnesota-based farmers' markets.
1.15(c) "Healthy purchases" means fruit, vegetables, or meat available for purchase at a
1.16Minnesota-based farmers' market.
1.17(d) "Minnesota-based farmers' market" means a physical market located within the
1.18borders of the state of Minnesota.
1.19(e) "Voucher" means a physical or electronic credit.
1.20(f) "Eligible household" means an individual or family that is determined to be
1.21eligible for SNAP.
1.22 Subd. 3. Grants. The commissioner shall allocate grant funds to nonprofit
1.23organizations that work with Minnesota-based farmers' markets to provide vouchers to
1.24SNAP participants who use electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards for healthy purchases.
2.1The commissioner must award grants based on a plan for voucher distribution submitted
2.2to the commissioner by a nonprofit organization that must equitably distribute funds to
2.3achieve geographic balance. The plan must document the organization's capacity to manage
2.4programming and outreach and must document specific efforts by the organization to
2.5reach eligible households comprised of seniors and eligible households in rural Minnesota.
2.6 Subd. 4. Household eligibility; participation. To be eligible for a Healthy Eating,
2.7Here at Home voucher, an eligible household must meet the federal SNAP eligibility
2.8requirements.
2.9 Subd. 5. Permissible uses; information provided. An eligible household may use
2.10a voucher toward healthy purchases at Minnesota-based farmers' markets. Every eligible
2.11household that receives a voucher must be informed of the allowable uses of the voucher.
2.12 Subd. 6. Program reporting. The nonprofit organizations that receive grant funds
2.13must report annually to the commissioner with information regarding the operation of the
2.14program, including the number of vouchers issued and the number of people served. To
2.15the extent practicable, the nonprofit organizations must report on detailed usage of the
2.16vouchers and must evaluate program effectiveness.
2.17 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
2.18$500,000 in fiscal year 2015 is appropriated from the general fund to the
2.19commissioner of human services for the Healthy Eating, Here at Home program under
2.20section 1.
