HB 250; 2R - Healthy Food Small Retailer/Corner Store Act

This bill would allocate up to $1 million of taxpayer money to create the Healthy Food Small Retailer Fund. Money from the fund would be allocated to local governments to enable them to provide equipment and assistance to small food retailers to carry nutrient-dense foods. The retailers must be located in what is classified as a food desert, essentially low-income areas with a lack of grocery stores. In short, the money would be used to supply the small stores with refrigeration equipment, shelving and technical assistance in return for their agreement to sell healthy foods. Also, in exchange retailers must agree to accept SNAP and WIC benefits, and make a commitment to sell the foods for a pre-determined length of time. Civitas believes the conservative position is to oppose the use of taxpayer money given to specific businesses. The conservative vote is no.