HB 1052 -- FOOD PANTRIES

SPONSOR:  Ward

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Children,
Families and Health by a vote of 12 to 1.

This bill authorizes the Division of Family Services to provide
financial assistance to local not-for-profit food pantries
distributing both federally donated and nonfederal food products.
Assistance is to be apportioned based on the number of households
served by individual food pantries and is to be used to acquire
additional nonfederal food products.  The financial assistance
provided by the division is subject to appropriation.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost to General Revenue Fund of $503,261
in FY 2003, $623,449 in FY 2004, and $645,893 in FY 2005.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that a growing number of Missourians
experience hunger each year, which results in increased demand
for food distributed by food pantries.  Some food pantries have
had to temporarily discontinue service due to the shortage of
food available for distribution; others have had to charge
clients minimal fees to help offset increasing costs.  The bill
will assist food pantries in providing food for eligible persons
and decreasing the incidence of hunger in Missouri.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Ward; American Second
Harvest of Greater St. Joseph; Central Missouri Food Bank; St.
Louis Area Food Bank; and Harvesters of Kansas City.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Joseph Deering, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:00 am