NY State Senate Bill 2025-S9669

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Agriculture Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 01, 2026	referred to agriculture

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10332
Current Committee:: Senate Agriculture
Law Section:: Agriculture and Markets

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the food price equity task force to study racialized food pricing disparities.

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9669

SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act establishing the food price equity task force

 
PURPOSE:

To establish a task force to study racialized and geographic disparities
in food pricing across New York State and to recommend legislative solu-
tions,,.to promote food price equity.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill establishes a 19-member Food Price Equity Task
Force. Members are appointed by relevant state agencies and legislative
leaders, including the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the
Temporary President of the Senate, with additional experts in food poli-
cy and consumer protection selected by the task force.

The task force is charged with studying disparities in food pricing,

including differences between low-income communities and nearby affluent
areas, and evaluating whether such disparities persist after accounting
for costs such as wholesale pricing, labor, rent, and distribution. The
task force will also examine the relationship between benefit reimburse-
ment timelines and retail pricing, as well as the racial and geographic
impacts of food pricing inequities.

The task force is authorized to request anonymized pricing data, conduct
surveys and audits, hold public hearings, and receive community testimo-
ny. It will also evaluate public health outcomes associated with
inflated food costs and assess the effectiveness of captive-market
protections.

Members will serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for neces-
sary expenses. The Department of Agriculture and Markets will provide
staffing and support, and the task force may utilize resources from
other governmental entities.

The task force must issue a final report within 18 months of enactment,
including findings, statutory recommendations, enforcement models, and
proposals for improving standards used to compare pricing across commu-
nities. The Legislature is required to hold hearings within 90 days of
receiving the report and introduce implementing legislation within one
legislative session thereafter.

Section two sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Food is a basic necessity, yet many New Yorkers particularly those in
low-income and historically marginalized communities face disproportion-
ately high food prices compared to residents in more affluent areas.
These disparities can exacerbate food insecurity, worsen health
outcomes, and deepen systemic inequities.

Despite growing concerns, there is currently no comprehensive, statewide
analysis of food pricing disparities that accounts for both economic and
racial factors. Establishing the Food Price Equity Task Force will
provide a structured, data-driven approach to understanding these ineq-
uities and identifying actionable solutions.

By bringing together experts, state agencies, and community stakehold-
ers, the task force will help ensure that future policy responses are
informed, equitable, and effective. Its findings will support the devel-
opment of targeted legislation to address unfair pricing practices and
improve access to affordable, healthy food for all New Yorkers.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Fiscal implications are expected to be minimal. Members shall serve
without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses.
Staffing and support services shall be provided within existing appro-
priations unless otherwise allocated.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9669
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 1, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  WEBB  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee 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
 S. 9669                             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.

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Senate Bill S9669

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Agriculture Committee

Actions

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Lea Webb

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Agriculture Committee

Actions

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S9669 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments