Executive Order  No. 643: Establishing the Governor’s Anti-Hunger Task Force

WHEREAS, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to ending hunger and promoting food security in Massachusetts now and for future generations;

WHEREAS, access to nutritious food is vital to the health and well-being of people, families, and communities across the state;

WHEREAS, food security is linked to improved educational outcomes, better physical and mental health, lower healthcare costs, and higher workforce productivity, and further sustains the economic vitality of farmers, grocers, manufacturers, delivery drivers, and others across the food supply chain;

WHEREAS, hunger contributes to developmental delays in children, drives healthcare costs, and exacerbates economic hardships;

WHEREAS, Massachusetts has long had one of the lowest rates of food insecurity in the country;

WHEREAS, strong public-private partnerships are known to have a transformative effect on food systems, fostering collaboration and engagement across sectors and industries critical to combatting hunger and food insecurity;

WHEREAS, Massachusetts has partnered with the federal government for decades to combat hunger and bolster food security, including by achieving one of the highest participation rates in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program;

WHEREAS, the federal government is now walking away from millions of hungry and food insecure Americans by cutting SNAP benefits, imposing new and burdensome eligibility requirements, and fundamentally altering its cost-sharing partnership with the states;

WHEREAS, Massachusetts requires intentional and sustainable solutions to keep healthy food available and accessible to our most vulnerable residents and to support our local food economies;  
 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Maura T. Healey, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, Part 2, c. 2, § I, Art. I, do hereby order as follows: 

Section 1. Establishment of the Task Force

There is hereby established within the Office of the Governor an Anti-Hunger Task Force to advise the Governor on the development of long-term, sustainable solutions for addressing hunger, food insecurity, and associated economic hardships impacting people, families, and communities in Massachusetts. 

The Task Force shall be co-chaired by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and the Secretary of Education, or their designees. The Task Force shall further consist of: the Secretaries of Administration and Finance, Aging and Independence, Economic Development, Labor and Workforce Development, Technology Services and Security, and Transportation, or their designees; the Commissioners of the Department of Agricultural Resources, the Department of Early Education and Care, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Higher Education, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Transitional Assistance, or their designees; the Executive Director of the Office for Refugees and Immigrants, or her designee; the Treasurer, or her designee; 2 members of the House of Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House; 2 members of the Senate designated by the Senate President; 1 designee each from Project Bread, Greater Boston Food Bank, Worcester County Food Bank, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Massachusetts Food Systems Collaborative, Massachusetts Association for Community Action, Massachusetts Municipal Association, and the United Way; and such additional members as the Governor may appoint from geographic areas across the state who represent interested constituencies, including but not limited to, SNAP recipients, farmers, fishers, food producers and growers, food manufacturers and retailers, statewide hunger relief organizations, legal services, faith communities, tribal organizations, veterans, philanthropy, municipal organizations, councils on aging, and business leaders. Members so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and without compensation. 

The Task Force shall meet at such times and intervals as may be determined by the co-chairs.  The Task Force shall, at appropriate intervals, report on its findings and recommendations to the Governor. 

Section 2. Objectives.

The primary objectives of the Task Force shall be:

1. Providing recommendations for mitigating the direct and indirect impacts of federal SNAP cuts and program changes to Massachusetts; 
2. Initiating and deepening collaboration among public, private, and nonprofit sectors for alleviating hunger and food insecurity, with a specific focus on those communities and populations most impacted by federal action; 
3. Exploring opportunities for partnership and collaboration across northeastern states, including New England and New York;
4. Providing recommendations for long-term, sustainable solutions for mitigating hunger and food insecurity, preserving food systems, and bolstering local economies through cross-cutting initiatives, including public-private partnerships, coordinated state responses, and data-driven reforms to policies and practices. 
    

The Task Force shall convene listening sessions statewide to hear directly from affected communities and identify acute and systemic issues and best solutions.

Section 3. Subcommittees

The co-chairs may establish subcommittees as needed.  Subcommittees may be comprised of members of the Task Force and non-members who are committed to addressing issues relating to hunger and food insecurity and who possess experience and expertise useful to the work of the subcommittee.  

All subcommittees shall be chaired by a member of the Task Force designated by the co-chairs.  Subcommittees shall meet from time to time, as scheduled by the subcommittee chair or their designee.

Section 4: Compatibility with Existing Laws

Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to require action inconsistent with any applicable state or federal law.

Section 5. Effective Date

This Executive Order shall take effect immediately and shall continue in effect until amended, superseded, or revoked by subsequent Executive Order.