HM 90 — CREATE HUNGER COUNCIL

HOUSEA MEMORIAL 90REQUESTING 53RDTHE LEGISLATURENEW -MEXICO STATELEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO CREATE A "HUNGER COUNCIL" MADE UP OF NEWLEGISLATORS, MEXICOREPRESENTATIVES -FROM SECONDSTATE SESSION,AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TO END HUNGER AND POVERTY STATEWIDE, TO MEET DURING THE 2018 INTRODUCEDINTERIM BYAND SarahDRAFT MaestasA BarnesSINGLE, andSTATEWIDE JoannePLAN J.FOR ENDING HUNGER IN NEW MEXICO.

Ferrary9 andWHEREAS, Deborahthe A.2017 "map the meal gap" report from the national anti-hunger organization feeding America indicates that twenty-five percent of children, or one hundred twenty- four thousand nine hundred eighty children, are at risk of hunger in New Mexico;

Armstrong and RebeccaWHEREAS, Dowthe 72017 9report Aranks MEMORIALNew REQUESTINGMexico THEsecond-highest NEWamong MEXICOthe LEGISLATIVEstates COUNCILfor TOchildhood CREATEhunger, Atied "HUNGERwith COUNCIL"Arkansas; MADE UP OF LEGISLATORS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM STATE AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TO END HUNGER AND POVERTY STATEWIDE, TO MEET DURING THE 2018 INTERIM AND DRAFT A SINGLE, STATEWIDE PLAN FOR ENDING HUNGER IN NEW MEXICO.

eand t 17 w l n d 18 WHEREAS, the 2017map "map the meal gap"gap report fromalso theshows =that =the 19overall ahunger lrate nationalin anti-hungerNew organizationMexico feedingis Americasixteen indicatespercent, iwhereby athree ehundred rthirty-two 20thousand thatsix twenty-fivehundred percentten ofNew children,Mexicans orare oneat hundredrisk twenty-for ahunger, tranking mNew mMexico 21seventh fouramong thousandstates ninewith hundredthe eightyworst children,rates are at risk of dfood rinsecurity, ewhich 22ties hungerNew inMexico Newwith Mexico;Ohio;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, the 2017meal reportgap ranksremains Newhigh, Mexicowith second-highestnearly esixty amillion nmeals bmissing 24from among the statestables forof childhoodhungry hunger,New tiedMexicans; with Arkansas;

HM 90 and uPage [1 WHEREAS, the map the meal gap report also shows that the .210059.1 overall hunger rate in New Mexico is sixteendirectly percent,linked wherebyto threepoverty; hundred thirty-two thousand six hundred ten New Mexicans are at risk for hunger, ranking New Mexico seventh among states with the worst rates of food insecurity, which ties New Mexico with Ohio;

and 6 WHEREAS, the meal gap remains high, with nearly sixty million meals missing from the tables of hungry New Mexicans;

and WHEREAS, hunger is directly linked to poverty;

Casey foundation and presented by New Mexico voices 12 for children found that too many children in New Mexico continue to lack access to even the most basic resources needed to thrive;

and e e 17 WHEREAS, the 2017 KIDS COUNT report provides statistics e e n d 18 for 2016, indicating that more than one hundred forty-five = = l ] 19 thousand children under eighteen years of age in New Mexico a l r i 20 were living in poverty;

and t e a t WHEREAS, according to the 2015 KIDS COUNT report, one m m 21 e d hundred eleven thousand New Mexico children — nearly one in r e 22 c e r c 23 four New Mexico children — lived in households that were food e a n b 24 insecure at some point during 2014;

and u [ WHEREAS, the 2017 KIDS COUNT report indicates that four .210059.1 - 2 - hundred four thousand New Mexicans, or roughly one in five state residents, were living in poverty in 2016;

and 6 WHEREAS, although there are a number of public and private programs that seek to address issues relating to hunger in New Mexico, many of these programs are "siloed", HM 90 Page 2 and there is little systematic communication among these programs;

and WHEREAS, there is a need for a single, statewide plan among policymakers, agencies and organizations for ending 12 hunger in New Mexico;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to create a "hunger council" made up of legislators from both chambers and political e e 17 parties, representatives from state agencies, counties and e e n d 18 municipalities and representatives from organizations that are = = l ] 19 working to end hunger and poverty statewide, to meet during the a l r i 20 2018 interim and draft a single, statewide plan for ending t e a t hunger in New Mexico;

and m m 21 e d BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislative r e 22 c e r c 23 council be requested to invite to participate on the hunger e a n b 24 council representatives from the human services department;

the u [ aging and long-term services department;

the children, youth .210059.1 - 3 - and families department;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be 6 transmitted to the governor, the secretary of human services, the secretary of aging and long-term services, the secretary HM 90 Page 3 of children, youth and families and the convener of the interfaith hunger coalition.

-HM 490 -Page 124 145 167 e9 e25 17 e e n d 18 = = l ] 19 a l r i 20 t e a t m m 21 e d r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .210059.1