House Bill 278

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI ANTI-HUNGER AND ANTI-FOOD INSECURITY TASK FORCE; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO STUDY HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI; TO PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP, CO-CHAIR STRUCTURE AND DUTIES; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO PROVIDE TWO REPORTS; TO DISSOLVE THE TASK FORCE BY A CERTAIN DATE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Mississippi Anti-Hunger and Anti-Food Insecurity Task Force to study hunger and food insecurity in the State of Mississippi, to develop and recommend long-term, sustainable strategies to reduce food insecurity, strengthen food systems, and address associated economic and public health challenges impacting individuals, families, and communities across the state.

(2) The task force shall be composed of the following seventeen (17) members:

(a) The Chairpersons of the Committees on Public Health in the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Senate;

(b) One (1) member of the Mississippi House of Representatives who represents a rural area of the state, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;

(c) One (1) member from the Mississippi Senate who represents a rural area in the state, to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;

(d) The Chief Health Officer for the Mississippi Department of Health, or his or her designee;

(e) The Chairman of the Board for the Mississippi Food Network, or his or her designee;

(f) The President of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi, or his or her designee;

(g) The Mississippi State Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, or his or her designee;

(h) The President of the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Metro American Heart Association, or his or her designee;

(i) One (1) employee or student from Alcorn State University with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy research expertise, to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task force;

(j) One (1) employee or student from Mississippi State University with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy research expertise, to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task force;

(k) One (1) employee or student from Tougaloo College with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy research, to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task force;

(l) One (1) employee or student from the University of Mississippi with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy research, to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task force;

(m) The President of the Jackson, Mississippi, Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, or her designee;

(n) The President of the Alliance to End Hunger, or his or her designee;

(o) The President of the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association, or his or her designee; and

(p) The Executive Director of the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, or his or her designee.

(3) The task force shall perform the following duties:

(a) Examine the prevalence, causes, and geographic disparities of hunger and food insecurity in Mississippi, with emphasis on rural and underserved communities;

(b) Assess the impact of federal nutrition programs, including but not limited to SNAP, WIC, and school meal programs, and recommend strategies to mitigate adverse federal policy or funding changes;

(d) Promote coordination among state agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and the private sector to improve food access and system efficiency; and

(e) Develop data-driven, long-term policy recommendations to strengthen Mississippi's food systems, support local agriculture, improve economic resilience, and reduce hunger statewide.

(4) (a) Appointments to the task force shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. The task force shall meet and organize within forty-five (45) days of the effective date of this act and the Chairpersons of the House and Senate Committees for Public Health shall serve as co-chairs of the task force. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. In the selection of its officers and the adoption of rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the task force shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, and those notices shall be emailed at least fifteen (15) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(b) The task force shall meet at least once quarterly and provide quarterly reports to the Legislature on its activities.

(c) The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Legislature by January 1, 2027. An additional and final report shall be filed January 1, 2028, at which time the task force shall be dissolved.

(5) Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their service on the task force, but may receive reimbursement for mileage and actual expenses as provided in Section 25-3-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, to the extent that funds are available for that purpose.

(6) (a) The Mississippi State Department of Health and the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review shall provide the staff and other support necessary for the task force to perform its duties.

(b) In addition to the agencies provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, to effectuate the purposes of this act, any department, division, board, bureau, committee, institution or agency of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, shall, at the request of the chairpersons of the task force, provide the facilities, assistance, information and data needed to enable the task force to carry out its duties.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.