A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 2.2 a chapter numbered 55.7, consisting of sections numbered 2.2-5518 through 2.2-5522, relating to Commonwealth Food Security and Coordination Act established.
HB610 would create the Commonwealth Food Security and Coordination Act in Title 2.2 of the Virginia Code. The bill directs the Department of Social Services to serve as the state lead agency for emergency food-security coordination, working with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Emergency Management to prepare for and respond to interruptions in federal nutrition benefits, natural disasters, and other emergencies that affect household food access.
The bill requires the Department to develop a coordinated emergency food-access plan that can involve food banks, nonprofits, mutual-aid groups, faith-based organizations, community kitchens, community gardens, and other approved entities. It also requires memoranda of understanding with partner agencies and nonprofits, use of statewide food-access data to identify need, activation of emergency food operations within 24 to 72 hours when requested or when an emergency is determined, public guidance for households and localities, coordination with local social services departments, and a post-activation report to the Governor and General Assembly. The participating agencies would provide technical, logistics, procurement, and communications support, and the program could be funded through appropriations, federal relief funds, or unappropriated general funds, but not through the Revenue Stabilization Fund or other constitutionally restricted reserves.
HB610 would add a new chapter to the Code of Virginia establishing a formal state framework for emergency food-security response. It would expand the responsibilities of the Department of Social Services and create coordination duties for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Department of Emergency Management, while also setting reporting, planning, and activation requirements for emergency food distribution. The bill would not create a new benefit program directly, but it would authorize and organize state-level coordination for food access during crises and define how state and nonprofit partners may work together.
The available record suggests generally supportive intent, with the bill introduced by multiple patrons and no recorded committee testimony or votes indicating opposition or amendment debate. Its focus on emergency preparedness, food access, and coordination with local and nonprofit partners suggests a policy goal likely to attract broad public-interest support. However, the bill was left in the House Appropriations Committee, indicating that fiscal or procedural concerns may have limited its progress.
The main potential points of contention are likely fiscal and administrative. The bill contemplates use of general funds or federal relief funds, which may raise questions about cost, staffing, and whether the Commonwealth should create a standing emergency food-access structure. Another possible issue is the breadth of the Department’s authority to determine emergencies, activate operations within 24 to 72 hours, and set guardrails for distribution, which could prompt concerns about implementation, overlap with local emergency management, or the role of nonprofit and faith-based partners. No specific objections were recorded in the provided materials.