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H. B. No. 278 *HR43/R1495* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Public Health and Human
Services
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative Hines
HOUSE BILL NO. 278
AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI ANTI-HUNGER AND ANTI-FOOD 1
INSECURITY TASK FORCE; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO STUDY HUNGER 2
AND FOOD INSECURITY IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI; TO PROVIDE FOR 3
ITS MEMBERSHIP, CO-CHAIR STRUCTURE AND DUTIES; TO REQUIRE THE TASK 4
FORCE TO PROVIDE TWO REPORTS; TO DISSOLVE THE TASK FORCE BY A 5
CERTAIN DATE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:7
SECTION 1. (1) There is created the Mississippi Anti-Hunger 8
and Anti-Food Insecurity Task Force to study hunger and food 9
insecurity in the State of Mississippi, to develop and recommend 10
long-term, sustainable strategies to reduce food insecurity, 11
strengthen food systems, and address associated economic and 12
public health challenges impacting individuals, families, and 13
communities across the state. 14
(2) The task force shall be composed of the following 15
seventeen (17) members: 16
(a) The Chairpersons of the Committees on Public Health 17
in the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Senate; 18
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(b) One (1) member of the Mississippi House of 19
Representatives who represents a rural area of the state, to be 20
appointed by the Speaker of the House; 21
(c) One (1) member from the Mississippi Senate who 22
represents a rural area in the state, to be appointed by the 23
Lieutenant Governor; 24
(d) The Chief Health Officer for the Mississippi 25
Department of Health, or his or her designee; 26
(e) The Chairman of the Board for the Mississippi Food 27
Network, or his or her designee; 28
(f) The President of the Boys and Girls Club of Central 29
Mississippi, or his or her designee; 30
(g) The Mississippi State Director of the Southern 31
Poverty Law Center, or his or her designee; 32
(h) The President of the Board of Directors for the 33
Mississippi Metro American Heart Association, or his or her 34
designee; 35
(i) One (1) employee or student from Alcorn State 36
University with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy 37
research expertise, to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task 38
force; 39
(j) One (1) employee or student from Mississippi State 40
University with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy 41
research expertise, to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task 42
force; 43
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(k) One (1) employee or student from Tougaloo College 44
with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy research, 45
to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task force; 46
(l) One (1) employee or student from the University of 47
Mississippi with expertise in public health, nutrition, and policy 48
research, to be chosen by the co-chairs of the task force; 49
(m) The President of the Jackson, Mississippi, Chapter 50
of the Links, Incorporated, or her designee; 51
(n) The President of the Alliance to End Hunger, or his 52
or her designee; 53
(o) The President of the Mississippi Medical and 54
Surgical Association, or his or her designee; and 55
(p) The Executive Director of the Joint Legislative 56
Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, or his 57
or her designee. 58
(3) The task force shall perform the following duties: 59
(a) Examine the prevalence, causes, and geographic 60
disparities of hunger and food insecurity in Mississippi, with 61
emphasis on rural and underserved communities; 62
(b) Assess the impact of federal nutrition programs, 63
including but not limited to SNAP, WIC, and school meal programs, 64
and recommend strategies to mitigate adverse federal policy or 65
funding changes; 66
(c) Conduct public listening sessions and stakeholder 67
meetings across the state to gather community input; 68
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(d) Promote coordination among state agencies, 69
nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and the private 70
sector to improve food access and system efficiency; and 71
(e) Develop data-driven, long-term policy 72
recommendations to strengthen Mississippi's food systems, support 73
local agriculture, improve economic resilience, and reduce hunger 74
statewide. 75
(4) (a) Appointments to the task force shall be made within 76
thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. The task 77
force shall meet and organize within forty-five (45) days of the 78
effective date of this act and the Chairpersons of the House and 79
Senate Committees for Public Health shall serve as co-chairs of 80
the task force. A majority of the members of the task force shall 81
constitute a quorum. In the selection of its officers and the 82
adoption of rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of 83
a majority of the task force shall be required. All members shall 84
be notified in writing of all meetings, and those notices shall be 85
emailed at least fifteen (15) days before the date on which a 86
meeting is to be held. 87
(b) The task force shall meet at least once quarterly 88
and provide quarterly reports to the Legislature on its 89
activities. 90
(c) The task force shall make a report of its findings 91
and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the 92
Legislature by January 1, 2027. An additional and final report 93
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ST: The Mississippi Anti-Hunger and Anti-Food
Insecurity Task Force; create to require reports
to the Legislature.
shall be filed January 1, 2028, at which time the task force shall 94
be dissolved. 95
(5) Members of the task force shall receive no compensation 96
for their service on the task force, but may receive reimbursement 97
for mileage and actual expenses as provided in Section 25-3-41, 98
Mississippi Code of 1972, to the extent that funds are available 99
for that purpose. 100
(6) (a) The Mississippi State Department of Health and the 101
Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and 102
Expenditure Review shall provide the staff and other support 103
necessary for the task force to perform its duties. 104
(b) In addition to the agencies provided in paragraph 105
(b) of this subsection, to effectuate the purposes of this act, 106
any department, division, board, bureau, committee, institution or 107
agency of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, shall, 108
at the request of the chairpersons of the task force, provide the 109
facilities, assistance, information and data needed to enable the 110
task force to carry out its duties. 111
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 112
and after its passage. 113