Senate Bill S2062

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2062

SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment
to article 1 of the constitution, in relation to the right to food and
the right to be free from hunger, malnutrition, starvation and the
endangerment of life from the scarcity of or lack of access to food

 
PURPOSE:

To create a constitutional right to food and to be free from hunger in
New York state.

 
SUMMARY:

Section 1. Amends article 1 of the constitution by adding a new section
20.

Section 2. Sets the effective date.

              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This constitutional amendment recognizes the accessibility to, nourish-
ing food as a state right, therefore protecting New Yorkers' right to
live free from food insecurity and malnutrition. According to the. NYC
Mayor's Office of Food Policy annual 2022 Food. Metrics Annual. Report,
an estimated 1.2 million (14.6%) New York City residents were food inse-
cure. When we further analyze the scope of this statistic, we find that
hunger and food insecurity are prevalent among children, college
students, the elderly, minority groups, and immigrants.

Individuals who suffer from malnutrition are disproportionately affected
by diet-sensitive chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pres-
sure, and according to research, food insecurity is also linked to many
adverse effects to overall health. Some of the primary causes for hunger
and food insecurity include low-wages, unemployment, tack of affordable
housing, high healthcare costs, and a tack of access to the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

No individual deserves to be deprived of nutrition. By implementing this
protection, we strive to protect the rights of New Yorker's access to
food.

Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity.
An analysis examining national trends in food insecurity from 2001 to
2016 found that food insecurity rates for both non-Hispanic black and
Hispanic households were at least twice that of non-Hispanic white
households. Moreover, in New York there are stark racial ethnic dispari-
ties. with 29 percent of Latino and 20 percent of Black adults reporting
household food scarcity, compared with 8 percent of Asian-American and 5
percent of white households. By implementing this legislation, we can
ensure that communities of color are`able to better access food.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: A10474; referred to judiciary / No Senate same-as

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Resolved (if the concur), That the foregoing amendments be referred to
the first regular legislative session convening after the next succeed-
ing general election of members of the assembly, and, in conformity with
section 1 of article 19 of the constitution, be published 3 months
previous to the time of such election.
 
1 https://councilnyc.gov/data/emergency-food-in-nyc
 
2 https://www.feedingamerica.org /hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger
 
3 http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/hunger.html
 
4 https://www.ncblnlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5823283/
 
5 https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/new-york-state-s- food-inse-
curity-rate-down-but-disparities-persist