House File 2239 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2239 BY ISENHART A BILL FOR An Act relating to the local food and farm program fund, by 1 making a name change and making an appropriation to the fund 2 to support projects for the development or expansion of food 3 hubs or farming innovation zones. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5383YH (7) 85 da/rj

H.F. 2239 Section 1. Section 267A.2, subsection 4, Code 2014, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. “Fund” means the local food and farm program innovation 3 fund created in section 267A.5 . 4 Sec. 2. Section 267A.5, Code 2014, is amended to read as 5 follows: 6 267A.5 Local food and farm program innovation fund. 7 A local food and farm program innovation fund is created in 8 the state treasury under the control of the department. The 9 fund is separate from the general fund of the state. The fund 10 is composed of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and 11 moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the local food 12 and farm program from the United States government or private 13 sources for placement in the fund. Moneys in the fund shall 14 be used to carry out the purpose and goals of this chapter 15 as provided in section 267A.1 , including but not limited to 16 administering the local food and farm program as provided in 17 section 267A.6 . The fund shall be managed by the department in 18 consultation with the local food and farm coordinator, under 19 the supervision of the local food and farm program council. 20 Sec. 3. LOCAL FOOD AND FARM INNOVATION FUND —— APPROPRIATION 21 TO SUPPORT FOOD HUBS OR FARMING INNOVATION ZONES PROJECTS. 22 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the state 23 to the local food and farm innovation fund created in section 24 267A.5, as amended by this Act, for the fiscal year beginning 25 July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015, the following amount, 26 or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes 27 designated: 28 For purposes of supporting food hubs or farming innovation 29 zones projects as provided in this section: 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,000,000 31 2. Moneys appropriated in subsection 1 shall be allocated by 32 the local food and farm program council established pursuant 33 to section 267A.3 to support projects for the development or 34 expansion of food hubs or farming innovation zones in this 35 -1- LSB 5383YH (7) 85 da/rj 1/ 3

H.F. 2239 state. 1 a. A food hub must be a centrally located facility with a 2 business management structure facilitating the aggregation, 3 storage, processing, distribution, or marketing of locally or 4 regionally produced food or food products. 5 b. A farming innovation zone must be a publicly recognized 6 location for research, development, demonstration, and 7 education that does all of the following: 8 (1) Prepares beginning farmers for the production of 9 diversified food products in Iowa for processing, wholesaling, 10 and retailing on a local or regional basis. 11 (2) Fosters the diversification of farm operations in which 12 existing producers are engaged. 13 (3) Supports the creation and expansion of production and 14 market infrastructure for a local foods economy, including but 15 not limited to food hubs. 16 3. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys that remain 17 unencumbered or unobligated at the end of the fiscal year shall 18 not revert but shall remain available to support the purposes 19 of this section for the succeeding fiscal year. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 BILL’S PROVISIONS —— NAME CHANGE. This bill changes the name 24 of the local food and farm program fund to the local food and 25 farm innovation fund. 26 BILL’S PROVISIONS —— APPROPRIATION. The bill appropriates 27 $1 million from the general fund of the state to the renamed 28 local food and farm innovation fund for the fiscal year 29 beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015, to support 30 projects for the development or expansion of food hubs or 31 farming innovation zones in this state. Any unencumbered 32 or unobligated moneys at the end of the fiscal year are to 33 remain available to support the purposes of this section for 34 the succeeding fiscal year. The bill provides that a food 35 -2- LSB 5383YH (7) 85 da/rj 2/ 3

H.F. 2239 hub must be used to facilitate the aggregation, storage, 1 processing, distribution, or marketing of locally or regionally 2 produced food or food products. The bill provides that a farm 3 innovation zone provides research, development, demonstration, 4 and education to (1) prepare beginning farmers for local 5 production and retailing, (2) foster diversification of farm 6 operations, and (3) support the creation and expansion of 7 infrastructure for a local foods economy. 8 -3- LSB 5383YH (7) 85 da/rj 3/ 3