Assembly Bill 823 aims to enhance the healthy food incentive program and improve payment processing for farmers markets and farmers selling directly to consumers. The bill allocates $1,000,000 for the fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to support the healthy food incentive program. Additionally, it mandates the Department of Health Services (DHS) to provide electronic benefit transfer (EBT) and credit and debit card processing equipment and services to farmers markets. The bill specifies that the EBT processing must include support for the FoodShare program, and the vendor responsible for processing these transactions must also handle any local purchasing incentives.

To facilitate these initiatives, the bill creates new statutory provisions under sections 20.435 (4) (bu) and 49.79 (7s), establishing a payment processing program for farmers and increasing the authorized full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at DHS by 0.625 to coordinate the program. Furthermore, it includes a fiscal change that increases the appropriation for the healthy food incentive program by $1,000,000 for both fiscal years. This comprehensive approach aims to bolster access to healthy food options while supporting local farmers through improved payment processing capabilities.