Assembly Bill A10332

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10332
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 20, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. ANDERSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Agriculture
 
 AN ACT establishing the food price equity task force
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. 1. There is hereby created a task force on food price equi-
 ty with the purpose of studying racialized food pricing disparities.
   2. The task force shall  consist  of  nineteen  members  appointed  as
 follows:
   a. one member appointed by the department of agriculture and markets;
   b.  one  member  appointed  by  the  department of state's division of
 consumer protection;
   c. one member appointed by the department of health;
   d. one member appointed by the attorney general's office;
   e. three members appointed by the governor;
   f. three members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   g. three members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   h. one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
   i. one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and
   j. four members  appointed  by  the  other  task  force  members  that
 specialize in food policy and consumer protection.
   3. It shall be the duty of the task force to study and issue recommen-
 dations  related to food price equity by, including, but not limited to,
 requesting anonymized retailer  pricing  data,  conducting  surveys  and
 audits,  holding public hearings, and receiving community testimony. The
 task force shall review and make recommendations on:
   a. price disparities between low-income communities and their  nearest
 affluent communities;
   b.  whether  disparities  persist  after controlling wholesale, labor,
 rent, and distribution costs;
   c. the relationship between benefit reimbursement timelines and retail
 pricing;
   d. racial and geographic impacts on food pricing disparities;
   e. public health outcomes associated with inflated food costs; and
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14762-01-6
 A. 10332                            2
 
   f. the effectiveness of captive-market protections.
   4.  Vacancies  in  membership of the task force shall be filled in the
 same manner as the original appointments were made. The members  of  the
 task  force  shall  serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for
 necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
   5. The task force shall organize as soon  as  is  practical  upon  the
 appointment  of  a  majority of its members. The chair of the task force
 shall be designated by a simple majority vote of all members of the task
 force.
   6. The department shall provide staff and related support services  to
 the  task  force. The task force shall also be entitled to call upon the
 services of any state, county, or municipal department,  board,  commis-
 sion  or  agency,  as  may be available to it for these purposes, and to
 incur such traveling and other miscellaneous expenses  as  it  may  deem
 necessary  for  the  proper execution of its duties and as may be within
 the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available  to  it  for
 these purposes.  The task force may meet and hold hearings at such plac-
 es as it shall designate.
   7.  The  task force shall create a final report regarding all findings
 and recommendations to be delivered no later than eighteen months  after
 the effective date of this section, to the governor, the temporary pres-
 ident  of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly. Such report shall
 include statutory recommendations, enforcement  models  and  recommenda-
 tions  on  expanding and modifying the affluent market comparison stand-
 ard.
   8. The legislature shall hold hearings within ninety days of receiving
 the final report described in subdivision seven of this section.  Imple-
 menting legislation shall be introduced within one  legislative  session
 after receipt of such report.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.