HB 298: "An Act establishing the Alaska Food Strategy Task Force; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 298 01 "An Act establishing the Alaska Food Strategy Task Force; and providing for an 02 effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 05 to read: 06 LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the legislature to establish the Alaska 07 Food Strategy Task Force to 08 (1) develop a comprehensive statewide food strategy; 09 (2) strengthen the state's diverse food systems; 10 (3) improve food security for all residents of the state; and 11 (4) grow the local food economies of the state. 12 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 13 read: 14 ALASKA FOOD STRATEGY TASK FORCE. (a) The Alaska Food Strategy Task
01 Force is created in the legislative branch. 02 (b) The executive board of the task force consists of nine members as follows: 03 (1) five members from the Alaska Food Policy Council selected by the 04 governing board; 05 (2) four members of the Alaska State Legislature appointed as follows: 06 (A) two members from the senate, appointed jointly by the president of 07 the senate and speaker of the house of representatives; 08 (B) two members from the house of representatives, appointed jointly 09 by the president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives; 10 (C) at least one member from the minority caucus of the senate or 11 house of representatives. 12 (c) The following commissioners, or their designees, serve as members of the task 13 force: 14 (1) the commissioner of natural resources; 15 (2) the commissioner of fish and game; 16 (3) the commissioner of health and social services; 17 (4) the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development; 18 and 19 (5) the commissioner of education and early development. 20 (d) The remainder of the task force consists of 21 members selected by the executive 21 board, as follows: 22 (1) one member from a mariculture development organization; 23 (2) one member from an agricultural development organization; 24 (3) one member from a fisheries-related organization; 25 (4) one member from a local food marketing organization; 26 (5) one member from a hunger and nutrition organization; 27 (6) one member from an economic development organization; 28 (7) one member from the food distribution or transportation industry; 29 (8) two members from Alaska Native or intertribal organizations addressing 30 food sovereignty or Alaska tribal governments; 31 (9) two members who are food producers in the state;
01 (10) two members from the food service industry; 02 (11) one youth member; 03 (12) one member who is a faculty member at the University of Alaska 04 Anchorage; 05 (13) one member who is a faculty member at the University of Alaska 06 Fairbanks; 07 (14) one member who is a faculty member at the University of Alaska 08 Southeast; 09 (15) one member who is a faculty member at the Alaska Pacific University; 10 and 11 (16) three members selected to provide additional expertise in food system 12 development. 13 (e) The executive board of the task force shall select members to provide expertise in 14 key areas of food system activity, including production, security, and economic, social, and 15 environmental drivers. In this subsection, 16 (1) "production" includes food processing, packaging, distribution, retail, and 17 consumption and waste management; 18 (2) "security" includes food access, availability, and use. 19 (f) The executive board of the task force shall select a chair and vice-chair from the 20 executive board. 21 (g) Members of the task force serve without compensation and may not receive travel 22 and per diem expenses. 23 (h) The task force shall meet during and between legislative sessions to accomplish its 24 duties. Meetings shall be conducted, and notice of regular meetings provided, under 25 AS 44.62.310 - 44.62.319 (Open Meetings Act). Records of the Alaska Food Strategy Task 26 Force are subject to inspection and copying as public records under AS 40.25.100 - 40.25.295 27 (Alaska Public Records Act). 28 (i) The executive board may remove a member of the task force if the member misses 29 more than two meetings in a calendar year without being previously excused or if the member 30 does not contribute in a meaningful way to the activities of the task force. Vacancies on the 31 task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection.
01 (j) The task force shall present state policy, legislation, and strategy implementation 02 recommendations in the following six integrated focus areas: 03 (1) sustainably growing the agriculture industry; 04 (2) sustainably growing markets for locally grown, locally harvested, and 05 locally processed foods; 06 (3) enhancing the climate for food and beverage businesses; 07 (4) minimizing food waste and diverting it from the waste stream; 08 (5) improving connectivity, efficiencies, and outcomes in state-run programs 09 affecting food availability and access; and 10 (6) ensuring food security in rural and urban communities. 11 (k) The task force shall, in its consideration of the six integrated focus areas under (j) 12 of this section, address, at a minimum, the following elements: 13 (1) public, nonprofit, and private investment and infrastructure; 14 (2) regulatory issues; 15 (3) research and development needs; 16 (4) environmental changes; 17 (5) workforce development needs; 18 (6) infrastructure needs; 19 (7) high food costs and food access; 20 (8) food safety; 21 (9) varying scales of food system development; 22 (10) innovative technologies for the Circumpolar North; 23 (11) adaptation of successful food system policies, models, and programs 24 across the Circumpolar North and other states; 25 (12) Alaska tribal relations as they pertain to food security and food 26 sovereignty; and 27 (13) emergency preparedness. 28 (l) The task force shall establish advisory committees focused on addressing each of 29 the six integrated focus areas under (j) of this section and the minimum elements under (k) of 30 this section, and each task force member shall serve on one or more of these committees. 31 (m) The task force shall present recommendations for metrics appropriate for
01 evaluating food system effects and food security outcomes. 02 (n) The recommendations of the task force must be 03 (1) evidence based; 04 (2) stakeholder informed; 05 (3) economically sound; 06 (4) environmentally sustainable; and 07 (5) equitable. 08 (o) The task force shall develop and present recommendations in three of the 09 integrated focus areas under (j) of this section by August 1, 2023, and recommendations in the 10 remaining three integrated focus areas under (j) of this section by August 1, 2024. The task 11 force shall compile the recommendations into a report and submit the report to the governor, 12 the senate secretary, and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the 13 legislature that the report is available. 14 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 15 read: 16 TRANSITION. The Alaska Food Strategy Task Force created under sec. 2 of this Act 17 shall begin work as soon as a majority of its membership has been selected. 18 * Sec. 4. Sections 1 and 2 of this Act are repealed June 30, 2025. 19 * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).