Bill Text: CA SB1419 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Food deserts: grants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-24 - Re-referred to Com. on APPR. [SB1419 Detail]
Download: California-2023-SB1419-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Senate
April 23, 2024 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
March 20, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 1419
| Introduced by Senator Rubio |
February 16, 2024 |
An act to add and repeal Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 49030) to of Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code, and to add and repeal Sections 17053.74 and 23627 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, relating to food. food, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1419, as amended, Rubio.
Food deserts: grants: personal income tax and corporation tax credits. grants.
(1)Existing
Existing law creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture, and requires the office, to the extent that resources are available, to work with various entities, as prescribed, to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state. Existing law requires the office, among other things, to identify distribution barriers that affect limited food access and work to overcome those barriers through various actions
action, and to coordinate with school districts and representatives to, among other things, increase the nutritional profile of foods provided in schools.
This bill would create the Food Desert Elimination Grant Program under the administration of the department for the purpose of expanding access to healthy foods in food deserts, as defined, in the state, and areas at risk of becoming food deserts, by providing grants to grocery store operators, as specified. The bill would create the Food Desert Elimination Fund in the General Fund and would authorize the fund to be expended by the department, upon appropriation, for purposes of the program. The bill would authorize the department to collect nonstate, federal, and private funds, would require those funds to be deposited into the California Equitable Food Access Account within the Food Desert
Elimination Fund, and would continuously appropriate moneys in the account to the department for purposes of the program, thereby making an appropriation.
The bill would authorize the department to award grants to grocery store operators seeking to locate grocery stores in food deserts and to award grants, totaling no more than 20% of the total program funding, for equipment upgrades for grocery stores located in food deserts to expand or provide healthy foods for sale. The bill would require, no later than January 1, 2026, the
authorize the department to adopt regulations
guidelines to implement these provisions. The bill would make the implementation of these provisions contingent on an appropriation by the Legislature. The bill would repeal these provisions on December 31, 2030.
(2)The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws.
This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and before January 1, 2030, allow a credit against the taxes imposed by those laws for portions of the wages paid by a taxpayer engaged in the operation of a grocery store in a food desert. The bill would require a taxpayer to request a tentative credit reservation from the Franchise Tax
Board by, among other things, providing under penalty of perjury a certification of employment for each qualified full-time employee, as defined. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(3)Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements.
This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure.
(4)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Food Desert Elimination Act of 2024.SEC. 2.
Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 49030) is added to Division 17 of the Food and Agricultural Code, to read:CHAPTER 15. Food Deserts
Article 1. General Provisions
49030.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this article govern the construction of this chapter.49031.
“Department” means the Department of Food and Agriculture.49032.
“Food desert” means a food desert as determined by the Economic Research Service within the United States Department of Agriculture.49033.
“Grocery store” means a retail store in this state of over 15,000 square feet that is a retail seller of groceries, as described in Code 445110 of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) published by the United States Office of Management and Budget, 2022 edition.49034.
“Small-scale grocery store” means a retail store in this state of under 15,000 square feet that is a retail seller of groceries, as described in Code 445110 of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) published by the United States Office of Management and Budget, 2022 edition.Article 2. Food Desert Elimination Grant Program
49040.
(a) The Food Desert Elimination Grant Program is hereby created under the administration of the Department of Food and Agriculture for the purpose of expanding access to healthy foods in food deserts in the state, and areas at risk of becoming food deserts, by providing grants to grocery store operators.(b) (1) The Food Desert Elimination Fund is hereby created in the General Fund and may be expended by the department, upon appropriation, for the purposes of this article.
(2) The department may collect nonstate, federal, and private funds for purposes of this article, and those funds shall be deposited into the California Equitable Food Access Account, which is hereby created within the Food Desert Elimination Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, moneys in the account shall be continuously appropriated without regard to fiscal years to the department for purposes of this article.
49041.
The department may award a grant for one or more of the following purposes to a grocery store operator seeking to locate a grocery store in a food desert:(a) A market and site feasibility study.
(b) Salaries and benefits to grocery store employees.
(c) Rents or downpayments to acquire a facility located in a food desert.
(d) Capital improvements, planning, renovations, land acquisition, demolition, and durable and nondurable equipment purchases.
(e) Other costs determined eligible by the
department.
49042.
The department may award a grant for equipment upgrades to a grocery store located in a food desert for the purpose of expanding the grocery store or providing healthy foods for sale. The department shall use no more than 20 percent of the total program funding for this purpose.No later than January 1, 2026, the department shall adopt regulations to implement this article.
