Vermont S 42: An act relating to establishing the Emergency Service Provider Wellness Commission

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED S.42
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VT LEG #380009 v.2
S.42 1
Introduced by Senators Hardy, Clarkson, Gulick, Major, Plunkett, Vyhovsky, 2
Watson and White 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Human services; food insecurity; 3SquaresVT; Restaurant Meals 6
Program 7
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to implement the 8
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Restaurant Meals Program in 9
Vermont. 10
An act relating to implementing the Restaurant Meals Program 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
* * * Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Generally * * * 13
Sec. 1. 33 V.S.A. § 1701 is amended to read: 14
§ 1701. SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 15
(a) The State of Vermont may shall participate in the federal Supplemental 16
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pursuant to 7 U.S.C. chapter 51. The 17
purpose of SNAP is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among households 18
with low income by increasing their food purchasing power and access to 19
nutritious, safe food. 20

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VT LEG #380009 v.2
* * * 1
* * * Restaurant Meals Program * * * 2
Sec. 2. 33 V.S.A. § 1704 is added to read: 3
§ 1704. RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM 4
(a) The State shall participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 5
Program’s Restaurant Meals Program. The Restaurant Meals Program shall be 6
administered by the Agency of Human Services, in consultation with the 7
Agency of Commerce and Community Development. 8
(b) Restaurant participation in the Restaurant Meals Program shall be 9
voluntary. The Agency of Human Services, in consultation with the Agency of 10
Commerce and Community Development, shall develop and publish on its 11
website a list of eligibility criteria for restaurant participation in the Restaurant 12
Meals Program, including that participating restaurants are licensed pursuant to 13
18 V.S.A. chapter 85. The eligibility criteria shall advance the following 14
goals: 15
(1) Locally produced foods are widely available to Restaurant Meals 16
Program clients. 17
(2) Restaurants serving foods that represent diverse cultural traditions 18
participate in the Restaurant Meals Program. 19

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VT LEG #380009 v.2
(3) Participating restaurants are located in geographically diverse 1
regions of the State and in areas with significant populations of eligible 2
program participants. 3
(c) The Agency of Human Services, in consultation with the Agency of 4
Commerce and Community Development, shall provide technical assistance to 5
those restaurants applying to and participating in the Restaurant Meals 6
Program. 7
Sec. 3. ADOPTION OF RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAM 8
The Agency of Human Services shall work in collaboration with the U.S. 9
Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to adopt the 10
Restaurant Meals Program in Vermont pursuant to 33 V.S.A. § 1704. 11
Documents submitted to the Food and Nutrition Services shall include a 12
comprehensive implementation plan describing criteria for participating 13
restaurants and a template of the memorandum of understanding that shall be 14
used by the Agency and participating restaurants. 15
Sec. 4. POSITION AUTHORIZATION; APPROPRIATION; RESTAURANT 16
MEALS PROGRAM 17
(a) In fiscal year 2026, one new permanent classified position, Restaurant 18
Meals Program Coordinator, is authorized for establishment within the Agency 19
of Human Services. 20

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VT LEG #380009 v.2
(b) In fiscal year 2026, $100,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund 1
to the Agency of Human Services to support the position established in 2
subsection (a) of this section. The position shall provide technical assistance to 3
restaurants applying to and participating in the Restaurant Meals Program 4
pursuant to Sec. 2 of this act and to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 5
Program retailers generally. 6
(c) In fiscal year 2026, $75,000.00 is appropriated from the General Fund 7
to the Agency of Human Services to cover equipment and restaurant start-up 8
costs related to restaurant participation in the Restaurant Meals Program 9
pursuant to Sec. 2 of this act. 10
* * * Effective Date * * * 11
Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE 12
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 13