RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
SB 287 2024 Regular Session Duplessis
Present law requires that, to the extent funds are available, the La. Dept. of Agriculture and
Forestry, in cooperation with public and private sector partners, establish a financing
program that provides grants and loans to healthy food retailers that increase access to fresh
fruits and vegetables and other affordable healthy food in underserved communities.
Proposed law would have retained present law but would have deleted the language "to the
extent funds are available".
Present law allows the department to contract with one or more qualified nonprofit
organizations or community development financial institutions to administer the program
through a public-private partnership, raise matching funds, market the program statewide,
evaluate applicants, make award decisions, underwrite loans, and monitor compliance and
impact.
Proposed law would have required the department to contract with qualified nonprofit
organizations or community development financial institutions.
Present law provides that the program must provide funding on a competitive, one-time basis
for eligible projects.
Proposed law would have deleted the language "one-time basis" and would have required the
program to provide funding on a competitive basis.
Would have become effective August 1, 2024.
(Proposed to amend R.S. 3:296(D)(1), (2), and (3))
VETO MESSAGE:
"Please be advised that I have vetoed Senate Bill 287 of the 2024 Regular Session. Senate
Bill 287 changes the current Healthy Food Retail Act to mandate that the Louisiana
Department of Agriculture contract with qualified nonprofit organizations. Senate Bill 287
creates an unfunded mandate by eliminating the contingent language in R.S. 3:296 that
provides the program is only "to the extent that funding is available."
In an almost identical bill, House Bill 670 of the 2024 Regular Session by Representative
Edmond Jordan, the Legislative Fiscal Office noted that this program was previously funded
by federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. However,
as noted by the Legislative Fiscal Office, this funding is no longer available as of September
of 2023 and there is currently no appropriation by the Legislature for this program.
Retaining the current law still allows the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
to provide funding for this program should funding become available.
For these reasons, Senate Bill 287 will not become law."


Statutes affected:
SB287 Original: 3:296(D)(1)
SB287 Engrossed: 3:296(D)(1)
SB287 Enrolled: 3:296(D)(1)