Legislature’s Food System Caucus Works to Combat Food Insecurity and Support the Massachusetts’ Food System During Pandemic
BOSTON- The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on food security and infrastructure in the Commonwealth. Demand at food banks has skyrocketed and local producers, who once relied on the restaurant industry, struggle to find buyers. As a member of the Food System Caucus (FSC), Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) has been working hard to combat food insecurity and fortify the Commonwealth’s food infrastructure during this time of hardship.
The FSC focuses on three primary areas identified as priorities in the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan accepted by the Massachusetts Food Policy Council in 2015:
- Food access/insecurity – reducing waste, hunger, and food insecurity while making available more fresh healthy food to everyone who lives in the Commonwealth.
- Farmland – protecting the land and resources necessary to produce food, while maximizing the environmental benefits of agriculture and fishing, and the preservation of agricultural land.
- Economic development – recognizing the significant impact to local, regional, and state economies, supporting the increase of production, sales, and consumption of Massachusetts grown food, and creating jobs and improving wages in food and farming.
With the support of Senator Gobi, the FSC has been successful in the advancement of several priority and endorsed pieces of legislation this spring and summer. House Bill 4218, An Act regarding breakfast after the bell, was approved by the House and Senate on July 28th and is now on Governor Baker’s desk awaiting his signature. H4218 will provide expanded school breakfast options to Massachusetts students in low-income communities. FSC members Rep. Vargas, Rep. Vega, and Sen. DiDomenico co-sponsored the legislation.
FSC member Rep. Livingstone was able to secure FSC-endorsed bill S678/H1173, An Act improving public health through a common core application for core food, health, and safety-net programs, as an amendment to the IT Bond Bill H4733. The amendment would create a common application portal where individuals could provide their data once and apply simultaneously for several benefits, including SNAP. The common app created by this amendment would work to close the SNAP Gap. A conference committee was formed to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, and the amendment language was included in the final bill produced by the conference committee, H4932. It is now on Governor Baker’s desk awaiting his signature.
FSC member Rep. Hogan filed FSC-endorsed bill H802, An act establishing a special commission to ensure the resiliency of family farms in the 21st century, as an amendment to the Economic Development Bill H4879, An Act enabling partnerships for growth. The amendment was adopted in the House version of the bill on July 28th. FSC Co-Chair Sen. Comerford was able to secure an additional FSC-priority bill, S438/H873 An Act to promote healthy soils and agricultural innovation in the Commonwealth, as an amendment to the Senate version of the Economic Development Bill. Both of these amendments would work to support Commonwealth farms, which have been hard-hit by the pandemic, and create a more resilient infrastructure.
FSC Co-Chair Rep. Donahue filed and secured $1M for the Massachusetts Food Trust Program as an amendment to the House’s Economic Development Bill H4879. The Mass Food Trust provides critical loans and grants to small businesses and increases access to healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods. This $1M investment will go a long way during the COVID-19 pandemic to support Commonwealth producers and food-insecure residents. It will also help from a public health standpoint, since nutrition-related chronic illnesses serve as comorbidities to COVID-19 and remain the largest cause of preventable death in the U.S.
In addition, FSC member Representative Cutler secured $500,000 in an amendment to H4879 for the Office of Travel and Tourism to expand and promote agriculture tourism in the aquaculture and cranberry industries. FSC member Senator Hinds also secured amendment language to the Senate version of the bill, S2842, that is based on FSC-endorsed bill S1129, An Act relative to the growth of hemp. The Hinds amendment would put hemp in the category of land used for horticultural. The House and Senate Economic Development bills are now in conference committee and we are hopeful a final negotiated bill will incorporate these important amendments.
Advancing the recommendations of the COVID-19 Command Center’s Food Security Task Force has been another priority of the FSC over the past several months. FSC Co-Chairs Rep. Kane and Sen. Comerford serve as Legislative Delegates on the Task Force, which released a report detailing initial recommendations to the Baker-Polito Administration in May. $56M in funding has resulted from the recommendations made by the Task Force.
A key initiative to come out of the work of the Task Force, which the FSC has worked hard to advance, is an emphasis on the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). HIP is administered through the MA Department of Transitional Assistance and combats food insecurity and supports local farms by providing one dollar back on SNAP EBT cards for each dollar spent on eligible produce. Thanks to the strong advocacy from organizations like the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, the Food Banks, and the Massachusetts Public Health Association, as well as broad, bipartisan, and consistent support from the Legislature, we are very pleased the Administration is expanding the program to new HIP vendors. The first round of new HIP vendors was announced in late July, and in selecting the 39 new vendors, the Administration focused on low-access areas, paying particular attention to communities of color and older adults- two groups that have been especially impacted by the pandemic. $5M in additional funds has been allocated to support the program’s continued expansion.
The Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program (FSIG) was also created out of the Task Force and is backed by the FSC. The first round of FSIG awards was recently announced, including $3M in grant money distributed to various projects that will reduce food insecurity and fortify the Commonwealth’s food infrastructure. The $3M is the first round of funding to come out of the total $36M program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until September 15th.
The FSC is also hyper-focused on helping the seafood industry, which has been hit extra hard by the pandemic due to its reliance on restaurant buyers. With restaurants closed or operating at limited capacity, the Commonwealth’s seafood industry has lost a significant portion of its business. FSC Co-Chairs Representative Kane and Senator Comerford and FSC members Senator Bruce Tarr and Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante have worked closely with Lieutenant Governor Polito and the Administration over the past few months to remedy this issue. The soon-to-launch MDAR MassGrown Exchange Platform is currently being developed and will serve as a connection between local producers/suppliers such as fisheries and buyers, including food banks. The Seafood Marketing Program has also been launched and supports local projects that raise demand for local seafood by administering grants.
The FSC has hosted multiple briefings over the course of the past several months to update the Legislature on the above developments, which have also served as a way to collaborate on solutions to food insecurity and infrastructure issues that are felt across the entire Commonwealth. Officials from the Administration, such as DTA Commissioner Amy Kershaw and EOEEA Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, have also provided updates on the briefings.
Follow the Food System Caucus on Twitter at @MAafoodcaucus and visit the official website at www.mafoodsystemcaucus.com/.
State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump Receives NASACT’s President’s Award
Boston, MA – Yesterday, State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump was honored with the President’s Award by the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT) at its annual conference, which was held virtually. When presenting the award, NASACT President Beth Pearce, the Vermont State Treasurer, recognized Auditor Bump’s service as former president of the National State Auditors Association (NSAA), which is part of NASACT, as well as her continued commitment to government transparency and her leadership related to the prevention of Medicaid fraud.
“All government officials, elected and appointed, hold a position of public trust that I regard as sacred,” Bump said while accepting the award. “And we agents of accountability, arguably even more than our colleagues across government, have a responsibility to act independently, objectively, accurately, and transparently to review and report on government spending and operations. We do this in order to uphold faith in our democracy.
“As president of NSAA, Auditor Bump provided excellent leadership to continue the group’s focus on identifying and preventing improper payments and misuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Pearce. “This work is more important now than ever, as COVID-19 relief funds pour into states, and I’m confident Auditor Bump and others in the state audit community will continue to rise to the challenge.”
Each year, the President’s Award is given to one state auditor, one state comptroller, and one state treasurer to recognize service to NASACT, its members, and the field of government accountability and financial management.
You can watch Bump’s remarks from the ceremony here (YouTube video).
Legislature Enacts $1.8 Billion Bond Bill to Strengthen the Commonwealth’s Information Technology & Physical Infrastructure
Invests in food security, education, public safety accountability
(BOSTON – 08/27/2020 ) Senator Anne M. Gobi (D-Spencer) joined House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Karen E. Spilka and their colleagues in House and Senate to pass legislation authorizing up to $1.8 billion in spending for the improvement of information technology equipment and other capital projects in Massachusetts.
The legislation also authorizes funding for food security, law enforcement body cameras, and investments in educational technologies in Massachusetts schools.
“I am proud to see our body realizing the importance of our information technology infrastructure and addressing it here,” commented Senator Gobi on the bill’s signage. “These investments will strengthen our access to key services for our residents, and stabilize a grid that has been strained during this pandemic.”
“As we adjust to a world transformed by a global pandemic we stand committed and ready to supporting existing programs and finding new ways to invest in underserved and underrepresented populations,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland).“I am thrilled to see this bill authorizes additional much-needed supports for childcare providers. I am equally proud to see this borrowing bill directs resources to a program aimed at supporting communities of color. I would like to thank all my colleagues, including House Speaker DeLeo and Senator Michael Rodrigues, for their work priorities.”
The capital plan, which includes $794 million for state and local general technology and physical infrastructure, features the following targeted investments.
- $110 million in public safety infrastructure and equipment
- $134 million in statewide economic development grants and reinvestment in disproportionately impacted communities
- $80 million in educational IT and infrastructure grants, includin $50 million to assist public schools in facilitating remote learning environments
- $10 million to fund technology investments at community health centers
- $37 million in food security grants
- $25 million in capital improvements for licensed early education and care providers and after school programs to ensure safe reopening during COVID-19
- $30 million in public safety accountability technologies including body cameras and a race and ethnicity data sharing system
The legislation has been signed into law by the governor.
Audit Leads to Improved Compliance with the Open Meeting and Conflict of Interest Laws at Commission on the Status of Women
Boston, MA – The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) reports it has improved its compliance with aspects of the Open Meeting and Conflict of Interest laws in response to an audit by State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump. The audit found that the organization did not ensure commissioners acknowledged their responsibilities under the Open Meeting Law and did not ensure they completed a required training on conflicts of interest. The audit examined the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019.
“The Commission on the Status of Women plays an instrumental role in ensuring that women have an equal voice throughout the Commonwealth. This audit provided recommendations to the commission to improve its processes and ensure that all of its commissioners understand and acknowledge their responsibilities under the state’s Conflict of Interest and Open Meeting Laws,” Bump said of the audit. “I commend them for taking these matters seriously and for acting on our recommendations.”
The audit found the commission did not have certificates from 16 of its 30 commissioners acknowledging that they received, read, and understand the state’s Open Meeting Law and their responsibilities under it. Additionally, Bump found MCSW could not substantiate that 9 of the 30 commissioners completed the required Conflict of Interest Law training. In both instances, MCSW indicated it has taken action to begin implementing Bump’s recommendations to address the issues.
MCSW was established as an independent agency that operates under the direction of a 19-member board of commissioners, each serving three-year terms. The commission is responsible for providing women and girls with a permanent and effective voice across Massachusetts. In addition, there are 11 regional commissions representing Berkshire County, Bristol County, Cape and Islands, Eastern Regional, Essex County, Hampden County, Hampshire-Franklin, MetroWest, Plymouth County, Upper Middlesex, and Worcester County.
The audit of the Massachusetts Commission the Status of Women.