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HB48 • 2026

Mississippi Grocery Initiative Act; create.

AN ACT TO CREATE THE "MISSISSIPPI GROCERY INITIATIVE ACT"; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES SHALL, SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION, ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI GROCERY INITIATIVE TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS IN FOOD DESERTS IN MISSISSIPPI AND AREAS AT RISK OF BECOMING FOOD DESERTS BY PROVIDING GRANTS AND OTHER FORMS OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN FOOD RESOURCES; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES MAY PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COUNSELING TO MISSISSIPPI GROCERY INITIATIVE PARTICIPANTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Johnson
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and therefore has no effective date or further details about implementation.

Mississippi Grocery Initiative Act

This bill establishes the Mississippi Grocery Initiative to provide grants and financial assistance to food resources in areas lacking access to healthy foods.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes a program called the Mississippi Grocery Initiative to expand access to healthy foods in food deserts by providing grants and other forms of financial assistance to eligible food resources.
  • Defines terms such as 'food desert', 'food resource', and 'nonprofit' for the purposes of this act.
  • Allows the Department of Human Services to provide technical assistance and counseling to participants of the Mississippi Grocery Initiative.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People living in areas without easy access to healthy foods (food deserts).
  • Food stores, food banks, food pantries, specialty grocers, supermarkets, corner stores, restaurants, state benefits offices, and other mechanisms that enable healthy food access.
  • The Department of Human Services which will run the program.

Terms To Know

Food desert
An area where people don't have easy access to affordable nutritious foods.
Nonprofit
An organization or institution that is organized as a nonprofit corporation according to the Mississippi Nonprofit Corporation Law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in the session it was introduced.
  • It requires funding from the state budget, which has not been confirmed.
  • Details about how much help each store will get are not specified.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-07 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/07 (H) Referred To Public Health and Human Services

Official Summary Text

Mississippi Grocery Initiative Act; create.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 48 *HR26/R1502* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR26/R1502
PAGE 1 (BS\KW)

To: Public Health and Human
Services
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Johnson

HOUSE BILL NO. 48

AN ACT TO CREATE THE "MISSISSIPPI GROCERY INITIATIVE ACT"; TO 1
PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES SHALL, SUBJECT TO 2
APPROPRIATION, ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI GROCERY INITIATIVE TO 3
EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS IN FOOD DESERTS IN MISSISSIPPI AND 4
AREAS AT RISK OF BECOMING FOOD DESERTS BY PROVIDING GRANTS AND 5
OTHER FORMS OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN FOOD RESOURCES; TO 6
DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT 7
THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES MAY PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 8
AND COUNSELING TO MISSISSIPPI GROCERY INITIATIVE PARTICIPANTS; AND 9
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 11
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 12
"Mississippi Grocery Initiative Act". 13
SECTION 2. (1) For the purposes of this section, the 14
following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed in 15
this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 16
(a) "Department" means the Department of Human 17
Services. 18
(b) "Food desert" means locations where the residential 19
population lacks adequate access to affordable nutritious foods, 20
typically lower-income areas where there is no access to a grocery 21
H. B. No. 48 *HR26/R1502* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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store within at least one-half (1/2) mile in urban areas or at 22
least ten (10) miles in nonurban areas. 23
(c) "Food resource" means any source that provides or 24
enables access, availability, or affordability of healthy food 25
products including food retailers, food banks, food pantries, 26
specialty grocers, supermarkets, corner stores, restaurants, state 27
benefits offices, food box voucher programs, or other mechanisms 28
that enable healthy food access in food desert communities. 29
(d) "Local governmental unit" means any county, 30
municipality, special district, or unit that is designated as a 31
unit of local government by law and exercises limited governmental 32
powers or powers in respect to limited governmental subjects. The 33
term "local governmental unit" also includes any school district 34
or community college district. 35
(e) "Nonprofit" means an organization or institution 36
that is organized as a nonprofit corporation according to the 37
Mississippi Nonprofit Corporation Law. 38
(f) "Specialty grocer" means a food resource that 39
provides or enables the access, availability, or affordability of 40
culturally diverse food products, including independent retail 41
operations. 42
(2) The department shall, subject to appropriation, 43
establish a program known as the Mississippi Grocery Initiative to 44
expand access to healthy foods in food deserts in Mississippi and 45
areas at risk of becoming food deserts in Mississippi by providing 46
H. B. No. 48 *HR26/R1502* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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grants and other forms of financial assistance to an eligible food 47
resource, nonprofit food resource, local governmental unit food 48
resource, or specialty grocer. The department may: 49
(a) Enter into contracts, grants, or other agreements 50
to administer the program; 51
(b) Place limits on the size of the food resources that 52
are eligible for grants and other financial assistance under the 53
program; 54
(c) Award grants and other financial assistance to 55
eligible food resources, nonprofit food resources, local 56
governmental unit food resources, or specialty grocers based on 57
poverty rates, income, geographic diversity, local ownership, 58
access to food resources in the area surrounding proposed project 59
locations, and other factors as determined by the department; and 60
(d) Award grants and other financial assistance for any 61
one (1) or more of the following: equipment, capital expenses, 62
operational expenses, administrative expenses, supplies or other 63
costs as determined by the department. 64
(3) The department shall share information and make 65
available technical assistance and counseling to Mississippi 66
Grocery Initiative participants. The department may provide 67
counseling to the participants and assist participants to navigate 68
regulatory processes, streamline compliance requirements, and 69
access capital and other funding opportunities. 70
H. B. No. 48 *HR26/R1502* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Mississippi Grocery Initiative Act; create.
(4) The department shall have all powers necessary to 71
implement and administer the Mississippi Grocery Initiative, and 72
the department shall promulgate rules and regulations, in 73
accordance with the Mississippi Administrative Procedures Law, 74
necessary for the implementation of this section. 75
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 76
and after July 1, 2026. 77