Article 3. California Healthy Food Financing Initiative of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 103. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.

This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative.

(a) There is hereby created the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative Council, within the office of the Treasurer, which shall consist of the following members:
  (1) The Treasurer or his or her designee.
  (2) The Secretary of Food and Agriculture or his or her designee.
  (3) The Secretary of California Health and Human Services or his or her designee.
  (4) The Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development or his or her designee.
  (b) The council shall implement the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative (CHFFI) and shall be chaired by the Treasurer or his or her designee. This initiative is intended to expand access to nutritious foods in underserved, urban, and rural communities and to eliminate food deserts in California.
  (c) The council shall have all of the following duties:
  (1) Developing financing options, using public or private moneys and resources, to support access to healthy foods for all Californians.
  (2) Developing program parameters, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
  (A) Defining eligible entities for participation.
  (B) Developing minimum eligibility thresholds for participation.
  (C) Establishing minimum and maximum levels of financial assistance.
  (3) Partnering with federal, state, or local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic programs to further the purposes of the initiative.
  (4) Reviewing recommendations of the advisory group established pursuant to Section 104662.
  (5) Providing updates to the Legislature as requested.
  (d) The council shall adopt all rules and regulations necessary to implement the initiative.
  (e) The council shall establish and maintain an Internet Web site. The Internet Web site shall, by March 31, 2013, include, but not be limited to, the following information:
  (1) Actions taken by the council.
  (2) Funding sources that are available to support access to healthy foods, including loans and grants from public, private, or philanthropic sources, and how to obtain these sources of funding.
  (3) Interagency activities among the office of the Treasurer, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Health and Human Services Agency, and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency that focus on benefiting underserved communities and increasing access to healthy foods.
  (4) Resources and links to other Internet Web sites with information on food deserts and increasing access to healthy foods.

(a) By July 1, 2012, the Secretary of Food and Agriculture shall prepare recommendations, to be presented upon request of the Legislature, regarding actions that need to be taken to promote food access in the state.
  (b) The Secretary of Food and Agriculture may establish an advisory group, not to exceed 21 members, to assist the agencies in complying with the requirements of subdivision (a). If established, the advisory group shall consist of representatives from the Legislature, food policy advocates, representatives from the grocery industry and financial institutions, food systems researchers, representatives from the agricultural industry, representatives from underserved communities, representatives from nonprofit and philanthropic organizations with expertise in this area, representatives of health care providers, and others.

(a) There is hereby established in the State Treasury the California Healthy Food Financing Initiative Fund, which shall be comprised of federal, state, philanthropic, and private funds for the purpose of expanding access to healthy foods in underserved communities.
  (b) Moneys in the fund shall be expended upon appropriation by the Legislature, and shall be used, to the extent practicable, to leverage other funding, including, but not limited to, new markets tax credits, federal and foundation grant programs, incentives available to designated enterprise zones, the federal Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, and funding from private sector financial institutions pursuant to the federal Community Reinvestment Act.

This article shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date.