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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study by the Health and Human Services Commission on |
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access to healthy foods. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) The Health and Human Services Commission |
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shall conduct a study on access to healthy foods in this state. The |
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commission may establish a work group to assist in conducting the |
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study. The work group may include representatives from other state |
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agencies, institutions of higher education, local governmental |
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entities, food councils, and other groups working to address food |
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access issues. |
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(b) The study conducted under Subsection (a) of this section |
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must include: |
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(1) an overview of access to healthy foods in this |
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state, including a breakdown of access to healthy foods by: |
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(A) urban areas; |
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(B) rural areas; and |
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(C) other geographic categories in this state; |
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(2) an overview of current programs related to |
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increasing access to healthy foods; |
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(3) an identification of best practices and successful |
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policies for increasing access to healthy foods and recommendations |
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for expanding those practices and policies in both urban and rural |
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areas; |
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(4) an examination of how economic, health, housing, |
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or transportation circumstances affect a person's or community's |
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access to healthy foods; |
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(5) an examination of food-purchasing practices, |
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including: |
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(A) the relation between where a person lives and |
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where that persons shops for food; |
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(B) the relation between where a person works and |
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where that person shops for food; |
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(C) the extent to which geographical distance |
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from a retail food store factors into a person's decision to shop at |
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that retail food store; |
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(D) the factors a person considers when choosing |
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to shop at a retail food store, including: |
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(i) the price of food; |
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(ii) the quality of food; |
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(iii) the type of food; |
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(iv) the convenience of shopping at the |
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retail food store; and |
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(v) any societal or communal factors; |
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(E) the price a person is willing to pay for food |
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in relation to its convenience, including the price a person is |
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willing to pay for food delivery services to avoid traffic or save |
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time; |
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(F) the relationship between household income |
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and food-purchasing practices; |
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(G) the preferred methods that people use to |
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travel to retail food stores, including a breakdown by county; and |
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(H) other factors, such as environment, culture, |
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and income, that affect food-purchasing practices; and |
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(6) an evaluation of the benefits of implementing an |
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online purchasing program for persons participating in the federal |
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supplemental nutrition assistance program operated under 7 U.S.C. |
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Section 2011 et seq. and how an online purchasing program will |
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impact those persons. |
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(c) Not later than January 1, 2019, the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall submit a written report to the |
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legislature with the results of the study required under Subsection |
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(a) of this section and recommendations for improving access to |
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healthy foods based on the findings of that study. |
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(d) This section expires September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |