2017 -- H 5421

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL HOUSE COMMISSION TO STUDY IMPLEMENTATION OF A

FOOD RECOVERY INCENTIVE PROGRAM

     Introduced By: Representatives Carson, Winfield, Fogarty, and Ajello

     Date Introduced: February 08, 2017

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     WHEREAS, Local food pantries have become critically important to households and

families that literally live hand to mouth, and with difficult economic times, donations and

contributions cannot keep up with need; and

     WHEREAS, Feeding America's 2014 statistics indicate that 48.1 million Americans,

including 15.3 million children, 5.4 million seniors, and 27.4 million additional adults live in food

insecure households. In Rhode Island, twelve percent (12%) of the state's households are food

insecure, and four and seven-tenths percent (4.7%) of Rhode Island households experience severe

food insecurity (hunger); and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Community Food Bank serves 60,000 Rhode Islanders

each month, and one out of three of those served is a child under the age of 18. Statewide, the

Rhode Island food distribution system disseminated 9.4 million pounds of food to families last

year; and

      WHEREAS, According to Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) Solid

Waste Characterization Study, forty-six percent (46%) of the waste produced by grocery stores

was from food and 48 percent of the waste produced from restaurants is food; and

     WHEREAS, The Johnston Landfill handles most of the 1.5 million tons of waste the state

generates annually, and while the site is not forecast to fill up for another 25 years, if the trash

stream is cut down, it could last many more years; and

     WHEREAS, These food waste products, from both grocery stores and restaurants, are

directly impacting our already overburdened landfills and have a great potential for reduction

through donation programs; and

     WHEREAS, The National Resource Defense Council reports that forty percent (40%) of

the food in the United States is lost somewhere from farm to landfill, with food being the number

one component in our nation's landfills and one-third of all food produced for humans going to

waste; and

     WHEREAS, Section 21-34-1 of the Rhode Island General Laws protects donors from

liability and yet, according to We Share Hope, one in seven Rhode Islanders are still food

insecure. The commitment by local grocery stores, restaurants and other food producing entities

to donating nutritious, leftover food to feed hungry people, not landfills, will be a positive step in

solving our states hunger pains; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created

consisting of thirteen (13) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island

House of Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by

the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department of

Health, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the URI Feinstein Center for a Hunger

Free America, or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of Acquisition and Distribution for

the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the

Rhode Island Food Dealers Association, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of a Rhode

Island Chamber of Commerce Association, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of

whom shall be the Dean of Culinary Education in the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson &

Wales University, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chair of the Rhode Island Food Policy

Council, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chairman of the Rhode Island Hospitality

Association, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chair of the Inter-Agency Food & Nutrition

Policy Advisory Council, or designee; and one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island

Resource Recovery Corporation, or designee.

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory

commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly

resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu

of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which

is entitled to the appointment consents to the member of the general public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study, and provide

recommendations for the steps necessary to remove barriers, and provide incentives to implement

and increase food recovery and donations in Rhode Island.

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     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a chairperson from among the

legislators.

     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state, shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

House of Representatives no later than March 7, 2018, and said commission shall expire on June

7, 2018.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL HOUSE COMMISSION TO STUDY IMPLEMENTATION OF A

FOOD RECOVERY INCENTIVE PROGRAM

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     This resolution would create a thirteen (13) member special legislative study commission

whose purpose it would be to make a comprehensive study and develop recommendations to

remove barriers and implement incentives to increase food recovery and donations in the State of

Rhode Island, and who would report back to the House of Representatives no later than March 7,

2018, and whose life would expire on June 7, 2018.

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