Florida § 595.421 - Farmers Feeding Florida Program.

§ 595.421. Farmers Feeding Florida Program.

There is established the Farmers Feeding Florida Program to coordinate with Feeding Florida, or its successor entity, for the acquisition, transportation, and distribution of non-Emergency Food Assistance Program fresh food products for the benefit of residents who are food insecure due to a lack of local food resources, accessibility, and affordability. (1) In order to implement the program, Feeding Florida shall: (a) Enter into an agreement with the department to provide, at a minimum, all of the following services: 1. Transportation of non-Emergency Food Assistance Program fresh food products using owned vehicles or contracted commercial vehicles. 2. Coordination of the purchase and pickup of food from the purchase location and delivery to the distribution location. (b) Submit monthly reports to the department, beginning July 1, 2026, which include, at a minimum, all of the following: 1. A detailed record of the amount of food purchased, measured per pound and itemized according to its commodity type. 2. Food purchase locations. 3. Food purchase dates. 4. The date of delivery and locations to which the food was distributed. (c) Submit quarterly reports, beginning July 1, 2026, to the chairs of the legislative appropriations committees, including all of the following information: 1. A detailed record of the amount of food distributed, measured per pound and itemized according to its commodity type. 2. The distribution locations. 3. An itemized list of the types of commodities distributed. (2) Foods purchased by Feeding Florida through the program are restricted to charitable purposes for hunger relief and may not reenter the wholesale, retail, or secondary market. (3) Feeding Florida may not, in implementing this section, allow a candidate for elective office to host a food distribution event during the period of time between the last day of the election qualifying period and the date of the election if the candidate is opposed for election or reelection at the time of the event. This subsection does not apply if the event is in response to a declared state of emergency.