Colorado § 26-2-143 - Colorado commodity supplemental food grant program - creation - appropriation - rules - definitions.

§ 26-2-143. Colorado commodity supplemental food grant program - creation - appropriation - rules - definitions.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Eligible entity" means a county public health agency, a district public health agency, a county department of human or social services, or a food bank that has a contract with the state department, but does not include a hunger-relief charitable organization, as defined in section 39-22-536 (1).

(b) "Food bank" means a charitable organization, exempt from federal income taxation under the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, that acquires and distributes food and nonfood essentials to other hunger-relief programs.

(c) "Grant program" means the Colorado commodity supplemental food grant program created in subsection (2) of this section.

(d) "Qualifying low-income older Colorado adult" means an adult who is sixty years of age or older and whose household income is not more than one hundred thirty percent of the federal poverty level.

(2) There is created in the state department the Colorado commodity supplemental food grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to provide money to eligible entities for the cost of adding additional food to food packages and the cost of storing, transporting, and distributing food packages to qualifying low-income older Colorado adults.

(3) The state department shall administer the grant program. Subject to available appropriations, the state department shall pay grants out of money annually appropriated to the state department for the grant program pursuant to subsection (4) of this section. The state board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement the grant program, including:

(a) Timelines for application for, consideration of, and awarding grants;

(b) Criteria for awarding grants; and

(c) Any other matters necessary for successful operation of the grant program.

(4) For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate one million dollars from the general fund to the state department for the grant program. Any unexpended or unencumbered money appropriated pursuant to this subsection (4) remains available for expenditure for the same purpose in the 2024-25 state fiscal year without further appropriation.

Source: L. 2023: Entire section added, (HB 23-1158), ch. 424, p. 2494, § 2, effective June 7.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 23-1158, see section 1 of chapter 424, Session Laws of Colorado 2023.