HB 1194 — AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES: Provides with respect to the Healthy Food Retail Act (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

HLSENROLLED 26RS-2611 ENGROSSED Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

1194 BY REPRESENTATIVES TERRY LANDRY, BAYHAM, CHANCEBOYD, BRASS, BRYANT, CARPENTER,WILFORDCARTER,CHASSION,FREEMAN,GREEN,CHANCE HENRY, DANA HENRY, TRAVIS JOHNSON, JORDAN, KNOX, LAFLEUR, MANDIE LANDRY, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, MCMAHEN, MOORE, MURRAY, NEWELL, PHELPS, TAYLOR, THOMPSON, WALTERS, WYBLE, AND WYBLEYOUNG AGRICULTURALCOMMODITIES:AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.

ProvideswithrespecttotheHealthyFoodRetailAct3:296(B)(4) ANand ACT(5), To(C), amend(D)(1) through (3), (4)(a)(iii), (6)(a), and reenact(7)(e), and to enact R.S.

3:296(B)(4) and (5), (C), (D)(1) through (3), (4)(a)(iii), (6)(a), (7)(e), (9), and (10) and to enact R.S.

to require the LSU AgCenter to identifycollaborate andwith mapthe foodDepartment desertsof Agriculture and developForestry anto eliminationplanwithbenchmarks;toprovideforreportingrequirements;toprovideprovidedata,research,and technical information relativeto fooddeserts;to provide for definitions;

Section1.Section 1.

R.S.3:296(B)(4)and(5),(C),(D)(1)through(3),(4)(a)(iii),(6)(a),(7)(e), (9), and (10) are herebyamended and reenactedand R.S.

3:296(D)(11)3:296(B)(4) isand herebyenacted(5), to(C), read(D)(1) asthrough follows:(3), (4)(a)(iii), (6)(a), and (7)(e) are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.

3:296(D)(11) is hereby enacted to read as follows:

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1194 ENROLLED (5) The program established pursuant to this Chapter is intended to provide a dedicated source of financing for healthy food retailers operating in underserved communitiesandfooddesertsinLouisiana,inbothurbanandruralareas;toincrease access to affordable healthy food so as to improve diets and health;

(1)(2) "Funding"meansgrants,loans,or"Funding"means agrants, combinationloans, oforacombinationofgrantsandloans. grantsandloans.

D.(1) To the extent funds are available, the Louisiana Department of AgricultureandForestry,incooperationwithpublicandprivatesectorpartners,shall establish administer a financing program that provides grants and loans to healthy foodfoodretailersandrelatedfoodaccessprojectsthat retailersandincreaseaccess relatedfoodaccessprojectsthatincreaseaccesstoto fresh fruits and vegetables and other affordablehealthyfood in underservedcommunities including Page 2 of 64 CODING:

HLS 26RS-2611 ENGROSSED HB NO.

1194 vegetablesENROLLED and other affordablehealthyfood in underservedcommunities including verified food deserts, with priority given to projects located in such areas.

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1194 ENROLLED (e) ThedegreetoThe whichtheprojectwilldegreeto havewhich atheprojectwill positivehaveapositive economiceconomicimpacton impacton the underserved community or food desert, including by creating or retaining jobs for local residents.

* * * (9)(a)(11) WithinninetydaysoftheeffectivedateofthisAct,theLSUAgCenterThe Louisiana State University Agricultural Center shall conductcollaborate awiththeLouisianaDepartmentofAgricultureandForestrytoprovidedata,research, statewideand studytechnical information relative to identifythe identification and mapgeographic distribution of food deserts.deserts across the state, from available sources.

(b) The LSU AgCenter shall implement or maintain a public database that includes geospatial mapping, population and demographic information, and indicators of food access and affordability, and shall update the database at least biennially.

(c) Within eighteen months of the effective date of this Act, the LSU AgCenter shall publish a ten-year food desert elimination plan with annual benchmarks, financing strategies, and implementation priorities.

(d) The LSU AgCenter shall submit an annual report to the legislature that includes a summary of any progress, barriers, outcomes, and any other recommended statutory or budgetary changes.

(9) (10) The department shall prepare and submit an annual report to the legislature on any projects funded and outcome data.

(10) (11) The department shall establish rules for the implementation of the Chapter in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

This Act shall become effectiveuponeffective upon signature bythe governor or, if not signedbythegovernor,uponexpirationofthetimeforbillstobecomelawwithoutsignature by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

PageSPEAKER 4OF ofTHE 6HOUSE CODING:OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED:

Wordsinstruckthroughtypearedeletionsfromexistinglaw;wordsunderscoredPage are4 additions.of 4 CODING:

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1194 DIGEST ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislative Services.

It constitutes nopart of the legislative instrument.

The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.

[R.S.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 1194 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Terry Landry Abstract:

Provides for the expansion and enhancement of Louisiana’s healthy food financing program to improve access to affordable fresh food in underserved communities and food deserts.

Present law provides for legislative findings.

Proposedlawretainspresentlawandaddsfindingsthatlimitedfoodaccessconstrainspublic health, neighborhood stability, and local economic growth.

Provides that the provisions of present law apply to food deserts.

Present law provides for definitions.

Proposed law retains present law and defines a "food desert" as a low-income census tract in which at least 500 persons or 33 percent of residents reside more than one mile from a supermarket in an urban area or more than 10 miles from a supermarket in a rural area.