CSHB 298(CRA) am: "An Act establishing the Alaska Food Strategy Task Force; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 298(CRA) am 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) one member from the minority caucus of the senate and one 07 member from the majority caucus of the senate, appointed jointly by the president of 08 the senate and speaker of the house of representatives; 09 (B) one member from the minority caucus of the house of 10 representatives and one member from the majority caucus of the house of 11 representatives, appointed jointly by the president of the senate and speaker of the 12 house of representatives. 13 (c) The following commissioners, or their designees, serve as members of the task 14 force: 15 (1) the commissioner of natural resources; 16 (2) the commissioner of fish and game; 17 (3) the commissioner of health and social services; 18 (4) the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development; 19 (5) the commissioner of education and early development; and 20 (6) the commissioner of transportation and public facilities. 21 (d) The remainder of the task force consists of 21 members selected by the executive 22 board, with due regard for broad geographic representation of the state, as follows: 23 (1) one member from a mariculture development organization; 24 (2) one member from an agricultural development organization; 25 (3) one member from a fisheries-related organization; 26 (4) one member from a local food marketing organization; 27 (5) one member from a hunger and nutrition organization; 28 (6) one member from an economic development organization; 29 (7) one member from the food distribution or transportation industry; 30 (8) two members from Alaska Native or intertribal organizations addressing 31 food sovereignty or Alaska tribal governments;
01 (9) two members who are food producers in the state; 02 (10) two members from the food service industry; 03 (11) one youth member; 04 (12) one member who is a faculty member at the University of Alaska 05 Anchorage; 06 (13) one member who is a faculty member at the University of Alaska 07 Fairbanks; 08 (14) one member who is a faculty member at the University of Alaska 09 Southeast; 10 (15) one member who is a faculty member at the Alaska Pacific University; 11 and 12 (16) three members selected to provide additional expertise in food system 13 development. 14 (e) The executive board of the task force shall select members to provide expertise in 15 key areas of food system activity, including production, security, and economic, social, and 16 environmental drivers. In this subsection, 17 (1) "production" includes growing and harvesting, food processing, 18 packaging, distribution, retail, and consumption and waste management; 19 (2) "security" includes food access, availability, and use. 20 (f) The executive board of the task force shall select a chair and vice-chair from the 21 executive board. 22 (g) Members of the task force serve without compensation and may not receive travel 23 and per diem expenses. 24 (h) The task force shall meet during and between legislative sessions to accomplish its 25 duties. Meetings shall be conducted, and notice of regular meetings provided, under 26 AS 44.62.310 - 44.62.319 (Open Meetings Act). Records of the Alaska Food Strategy Task 27 Force are subject to inspection and copying as public records under AS 40.25.100 - 40.25.295 28 (Alaska Public Records Act). 29 (i) The executive board may remove a member of the task force if the member misses 30 more than two meetings in a calendar year without being previously excused or if the member 31 does not contribute in a meaningful way to the activities of the task force. Vacancies on the
01 task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection. 02 (j) The task force shall present state policy, legislation, and strategy implementation 03 recommendations in the following seven integrated focus areas: 04 (1) sustainably growing the agriculture industry; 05 (2) sustainably growing markets for locally grown, locally harvested, and 06 locally processed foods; 07 (3) enhancing the climate for food and beverage businesses; 08 (4) minimizing food waste and diverting it from the waste stream; 09 (5) improving connectivity, efficiencies, and outcomes in state-run programs 10 affecting food availability and access; 11 (6) ensuring food security in rural and urban communities; and 12 (7) improving transportation and infrastructure to transfer and deliver food in 13 the state. 14 (k) The task force shall, in its consideration of the seven integrated focus areas under 15 (j) of this section, address, at a minimum, the following elements: 16 (1) public, nonprofit, and private investment and infrastructure; 17 (2) regulatory issues; 18 (3) research and development needs; 19 (4) environmental changes; 20 (5) workforce development needs; 21 (6) infrastructure needs and storage; 22 (7) high food costs and food access; 23 (8) food safety; 24 (9) varying scales of food system and storage development; 25 (10) innovative technologies for the Circumpolar North; 26 (11) adaptation of successful food system policies, models, and programs 27 across the Circumpolar North and other states; 28 (12) Alaska tribal relations as they pertain to food security, food sovereignty, 29 and local storage methods; and 30 (13) emergency preparedness. 31 (l) The task force shall establish advisory committees focused on addressing each of
01 the six integrated focus areas under (j) of this section and the minimum elements under (k) of 02 this section, and each task force member shall serve on one or more of these committees. 03 (m) The task force shall present recommendations for metrics appropriate for 04 evaluating food system effects and food security outcomes. 05 (n) The recommendations of the task force must be 06 (1) evidence based; 07 (2) stakeholder informed; 08 (3) economically sound; 09 (4) environmentally sustainable; and 10 (5) equitable. 11 (o) The task force shall develop and present recommendations in three of the 12 integrated focus areas under (j) of this section by August 1, 2023, and recommendations in the 13 remaining three integrated focus areas under (j) of this section by August 1, 2024. The task 14 force shall compile the recommendations into a report and submit the report to the governor, 15 the senate secretary, and the chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the 16 legislature that the report is available. 17 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska enacted in sec. 2(c) of this Act is 18 amended to read: 19 (c) The following commissioners, or their designees, serve as members of the 20 task force: 21 (1) the commissioner of natural resources; 22 (2) the commissioner of fish and game; 23 (3) the commissioner of health [AND SOCIAL SERVICES]; 24 (4) the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic 25 development; and 26 (5) the commissioner of education and early development. 27 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 28 read: 29 TRANSITION. The Alaska Food Strategy Task Force created under sec. 2 of this Act 30 shall begin work on the earlier of 31 (1) December 1, 2022; or
01 (2) the date a majority of its membership has been selected. 02 * Sec. 5. Sections 1 - 3 of this Act are repealed June 30, 2025. 03 * Sec. 6. Section 3 of this Act takes effect July 1, 2022. 04 * Sec. 7. Except as provided in sec. 6 of this Act, this Act takes effect immediately under 05 AS 01.10.070(c).