Colorado § 23-31-1103 - Council - purpose and duties.

§ 23-31-1103. Council - purpose and duties.

[Editor's note: This part 11 is in a one-year wind-up period. For further explanation regarding the wind-up period, see the editor's note following the part heading.]

(1) The purpose of the council is to grow local, regional, and statewide food economies within which producers have access to new markets and low-income populations have access to fresh, affordable, and healthy foods. Duties of the council include:

(a) Collaborating and coordinating with agricultural producers, relevant state and federal educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and consumers to connect state and federal agencies and to provide Colorado agricultural producers, including fruit and vegetable producers, with viable market opportunities. Areas of focus include:

(I) Connecting Colorado agricultural producers to federal food assistance programs by functioning as an interagency liaison between relevant state and federal agencies;

(II) Leveraging the purchasing power of the state's institutions to create new and reliable markets for Colorado agricultural products and support the growth of robust and resilient food systems while providing fresh, affordable, and healthy foods to vulnerable populations; and

(III) Examining best practices to advance or improve distribution systems and develop new markets for Colorado agricultural producers.

(b) Conducting research regarding national best practices regarding food and nutrition assistance, direct and intermediated market development, institutional procurement, and farm-to-school programs;

(b.5) Serving as a resource for research and support at the request of the governor, members of the general assembly, or any state agency in connection with the council's purpose and duties in subsections (1)(a) and (1)(b) of this section;

(c) Collaborating with, serving as a resource to, and receiving input from local and regional food policy councils in the state; and

(d) Exploring methods of collecting and assessing statewide data relating to council activities and reporting the relevant information and data regarding council activities as required by section 23-31-1106.

(2) The department of agriculture, department of education, department of human services, and department of public health and environment shall cooperate with the council with respect to the council's duties specified in subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The council shall accept and consider public comment regarding any research or reports created by the council pursuant to subsections (1)(b) and (1)(b.5) of this section. The council shall receive public comment for a minimum of sixty days.

Source: L. 2019: Entire part added with relocations, (HB 19-1202), ch. 403, p. 3569, § 1, effective May 31. L. 2023: IP(1), IP(1)(a), (1)(a)(III), and (1)(b) amended and (1)(b.5) and (3) added, (SB 23-159), ch. 328, p. 1964, § 3, effective August 7.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 24-37.3-103 as it existed prior to 2019.