ATLANTA (March 16, 2022) | Yesterday, Senate Bill 537, sponsored by Sen. Harold Jones II (D – Augusta), was passed out of the Senate with a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 51 to 0. Known as the “Georgia Food Insecurity Eradication Act”, SB 537 addresses the issue of food deserts and those suffering from food insecurity throughout Georgia.
“This bill addresses an issue that far too many in our state experience – the lack of adequate access to healthy, locally sourced food,” said Sen. Jones. “Throughout our work on a study committee over the summer, we identified several key areas where the state could intervene to help improve the availability of healthy foods and end food insecurity for good. I am proud of the bipartisan manner in which SB 537 has advanced through the legislative process and will continue to work with my colleagues in the House to finalize a bill to be sent to the Governor to become law.”
Senate Bill 537, known as the “Georgia Food Insecurity Eradication Act,” would establish the Georgia Food Security Advisory Council within the Department of Agriculture, which will be tasked with a number of duties including: recommending regulatory solutions to the WIC Program, recommending ways the State of Georgia can use tax credits as an economic incentive to create and maintain grocery stores in food insecure areas, and recommending ways to maximize current educational programs which educate the public on purchasing and consuming healthy foods, among other duties.
You can view the full text of SB 537 here: www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/62241
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For Immediate Release:
March 16, 2022
Andrew Allison, Director
404.656.0028