Florida State Representative Michele Rayner has introduced a bill aimed at expanding access to healthy food in neighborhoods that have gone years without a full grocery store.
House Bill 337 would give local governments the authority to approve small-footprint grocery stores in areas designated as food insecure.
The proposal arrived as SNAP benefits remained suspended during the federal budget standoff – which has now ended. Nearly three million Floridians rely on the program, and about 70 percent are children, seniors or people with disabilities.
Rayner said the bill is intended to help bring fresh produce and affordable food closer to the people who need it most. “As individuals and families across our state continue to face rising costs and fewer resources to help them in times of need, we need to work together to ensure everyone has easy access to affordable, healthy food,” she said.
“This legislation provides local leaders with the tools they need to bring healthy food options directly into communities that have been historically underserved. Access to healthy, fresh food is a right, not a luxury, and we should all want everyone in our state to be fed.”
Under HB 337, local governments could revise zoning codes and comprehensive plans to allow small grocery sites in low-income census tracts that meet the federal definition of a food desert. Stores would be required to derive at least 30 percent of their revenue from nutrient-dense foods to qualify.
Rayner’s office said the legislation would give local governments flexibility to respond to food insecurity while opening the door for new economic activity. The bill will be taken up during the upcoming legislative session.