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HB2238 • 2026

Statewide food security

Concerning statewide food security.

Agriculture
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Representative Reeves, Representative Gregerson, Representative Doglio, Representative Parshley, Representative Ramel, Representative Simmons, Representative Peterson, Representative Obras, Representative Santos, Representative Scott, Representative Thomas, Representative Stonier, Representative Morgan, Representative Ormsby, Representative Berg, Representative Goodman, Representative Thai, Representative Farivar, Representative Fosse, Representative Bergquist, Representative Hill, Representative Pollet, Representative Donaghy, Representative Bernbaum, Representative Wylie, Representative Zahn
Last action
2026-02-10
Official status
H subst for
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Statewide food security

Statewide food security

What This Bill Does

  • Statewide food security

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

2238-S AMH REEV LEWI 068

1505 • Reeves

ADOPTED

Plain English: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2238-S AMH REEV LEWI 068 1 - Official Print By Representative Reeves EFFECT: Adds experts in poverty reduction to the entities with whom the Department of Agriculture must consult when developing the Food Security Strategy (Strategy).

  • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2238-S AMH REEV LEWI 068 1 - Official Print By Representative Reeves EFFECT: Adds experts in poverty reduction to the entities with whom the Department of Agriculture must consult when developing the Food Security Strategy (Strategy).
  • Specifies that the Strategy must include measures with the potential to reduce the number of Washingtonians in need of food assistance only if relevant data is readily available from existing sources.
  • Specifies that the Strategy must identify and address the root cause of hunger only if relevant data is readily available from existing sources.
  • 2238-S AMH REEV LEWI 068 SHB 2238 - H AMD 1505 ADOPTED 02/10/2026 On page 2, line 16, after "and" insert ", only to the extent relevant data is readily available from existing sources," On page 2, line 29, after "resilience" strike "and food access" and insert ", food access, and poverty reduction" On page 3, line 30, after "Washington" insert ", only to the extent relevant data is readily available from existing sources" --- END

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-10 House

    1st substitute bill substituted.

Official Summary Text

Statewide food security

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
AN ACT Relating to statewide food security; amending RCW 1
43.23.030; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature intends to provide for 4
the development of a strategy for statewide food security in order to 5
end hunger, reduce diet-related health disparities, and increase 6
agricultural viability and supply chain resilience.7
(2) This section expires July 1, 2028. 8
Sec. 2. RCW 43.23.030 and 1985 c 457 s 15 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
(1) The director of agriculture shall exercise all the powers and 11
perform all the duties relating to the development of markets, for 12
agricultural products, state and federal cooperative marketing 13
programs, land utilization for agricultural purposes, water 14
resources, transportation, and farm labor as such matters relate to 15
the production, distribution , and sale of agricultural commodities 16
including private sector cultured aquatic products as defined in RCW 17
15.85.020. 18
(2) The director of agriculture shall exercise all the powers and 19
perform all duties necessary to monitor food system performance and 20
H-2670.2
HOUSE BILL 2238
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Reeves, Gregerson, Doglio, Parshley, Ramel,
Simmons, Peterson, Obras, Santos, Scott, Thomas, Stonier, Morgan,
Ormsby, Berg, Goodman, Thai, Farivar, Fosse, Bergquist, Hill, Pollet,
Donaghy, Bernbaum, Wylie, and Zahn
Prefiled 01/02/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Agriculture & Natural Resources.
p. 1 HB 2238
coordinate statewide food security, including working collaboratively 1
with state, local, and federal agencies; tribes; nonprofit 2
organizations; research institutions; and industry experts with roles 3
and responsibilities pertaining to agricultural resilience and food 4
access. 5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The department shall develop a 6
strategy to enhance statewide food security in order to end hunger, 7
reduce health disparities, and increase agricultural viability and 8
supply chain resilience.9
(2)(a) The department shall convene the office of the 10
superintendent of public instruction, the department of health, the 11
department of social and health services, the state conservation 12
commission, the office of farmland preservation, the department of 13
ecology, the University of Washington, Washington State University, 14
members of the food policy forum, and nonprofit hunger relief 15
organizations to develop the strategy. The department must also 16
consult with nonprofit, research, public sector, and private sector 17
experts on agricultural resilience and food access.18
(b) The department shall notify and engage federally recognized 19
tribes regularly throughout the development of the strategy.20
(3) At a minimum, the strategy must: 21
(a) Define statewide food security in terms of food access, 22
agricultural viability, and supply chain resilience;23
(b) Develop metrics and a methodology to monitor food system 24
performance across the three key indicator areas: Agricultural 25
viability, supply chain resilience, and food access. The monitoring 26
system must include a framework for maintaining annually updated data 27
for all state and federal investments across Washington's hunger 28
safety net, including utilization rates and available demographic 29
data; 30
(c) Build agricultural viability and supply chain resilience by:31
(i) Identifying opportunities to address state policy and 32
regulatory barriers to food production and supply chain coordination;33
(ii) Establishing a communication network and clarity of roles 34
across Washington's food system that support effective response 35
during disaster, with prioritized, coordinated outreach to impacted 36
producers and consumers; and 37
p. 2 HB 2238
(iii) Taking a proproducer, antihunger systems approach to 1
coordinate agency actions and awareness across Washington's food 2
system; and 3
(d) Build long-term food security by: 4
(i) Supporting nutrition education and food system literacy for 5
all; 6
(ii) Ensuring coordinated strategies for assessing, 7
communicating, and addressing gaps in food access due to changes in 8
supply or demand of hunger safety net; and 9
(iii) Enhancing nutrition and food security research to support 10
measurable reduction in diet-related health disparities.11
(4) The department shall provide the statewide food security 12
strategy, in conformance with RCW 43.01.036, to the appropriate 13
committees of the legislature by December 1, 2027.14
(5) For the purposes of this section, "department" means the 15
department of agriculture. 16
(6) This section expires July 1, 2028. 17
--- END ---
p. 3 HB 2238