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UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HJR 25/GA
Page 1 of 2
HJR002510.100 - 1220 - XXXX 2/11/2026 2:37 PM GA
A JOINT RESOLUTION declaring Kentucky a Food is Medicine state and 1
directing state agencies to advance Food is Medicine initiatives. 2
WHEREAS, the United States spends $4.5 trillion annually on health care with 90 3
percent of those expenditures covering care for people with chronic physical and mental 4
health conditions; and 5
WHEREAS, six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease and four in 10 6
have two or more chronic diseases; and 7
WHEREAS, diet-related physical conditions such as obesity impact 41.9 percent of 8
adults in the United States and result in $173 billion annually in health care costs; and 9
WHEREAS, in Kentucky, 40.4 percent of adults h ave at least one chronic physical 10
disease such as diabetes or heart disease, which results in over $29.4 billion in health care 11
expenses annually; and 12
WHEREAS, the incidence of chronic disease is higher in rural and other areas 13
underserved by health and co mmunity resources compared to better served areas which 14
intensifies population health disparities in the state; and 15
WHEREAS, some state pilot programs and national studies have demonstrated that 16
Food is Medicine intervention programs, especially when admin istered in clinical 17
settings, can prevent and improve health care outcomes for chronic diseases, thereby 18
reducing chronic disease rates and health care costs; and 19
WHEREAS, Kentucky has pioneered Food is Medicine efforts, including the 20
Kentucky Hospital Ass ociation's (KHA) partnership with the Kentucky Department of 21
Agriculture (KDA), to launch a dedicated initiative to integrate health care and 22
agriculture with the goal of making Kentucky citizens healthier by addressing poor diet, 23
food insecurity, and agri culture production barriers as well as health insurance 24
provisions, basic nutrition needs, and chronic disease management; and 25
WHEREAS, Kentucky hospitals, through the KHA and its members, are leading in 26
the Food is Medicine initiative by creating and implementing Food is Medicine programs 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS HJR 25/GA
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HJR002510.100 - 1220 - XXXX 2/11/2026 2:37 PM GA
in clinical settings and employee care programs that track and monitor health outcomes; 1
and 2
WHEREAS, declaring Kentucky a Food is Medicine state will build on the 3
foundations of the KHA and the KDA partnership by fostering collaboration among 4
health care providers, private insurers, managed care organizations, state agencies, local 5
governments, and nonprofit organizations to expand initiatives using local farm products 6
in nutritional health interventions; and 7
WHEREAS, the Food is Medicine state declaration aligns with Kentucky's 8
commitment to improving population health, reducing health disparitie s, and promoting 9
preventive care as cost-effective strategies for long-term fiscal sustainability, particularly 10
amid Kentucky's ongoing battle against nutrition-sensitive chronic diseases; 11
NOW, THEREFORE, 12
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 13
Section 1. The General Assembly hereby declares Kentucky to be a Food is 14
Medicine state to recognize the critical role of nutrition in preventing and managing 15
chronic diseases and to promote the use of local food products in health care systems. 16
Section 2. State agencies are directed to advance Food is Medicine initiatives 17
by taking all appropriate actions, including but not limited to: 18
(1) Affirming the integration of nutrition as a core component of medical treatment and 19
public health policy; 20
(2) Supporting coordination with the Kentucky Hospital Association, the Kentucky 21
Department of Agriculture, and other relevant agencies and partners to pilot 22
medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions for high-risk populations; 23
(3) Forming public-private partnerships to support local food systems and community -24
based food delivery; and 25
(4) Supporting evaluations to measure the health outcomes, cost savings, and impacts 26
of Food is Medicine initiatives. 27