B26-0444: Food Policy Council Procurement Amendment Act of 2025

ENGROSSED ORIGINAL

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A BILL 1 2 26-444 3 4 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 5 6 _________________________ 7 8 9 To amend the Food Policy Council and Director Establishment Act of 2014 to change the 10 timeline for the Food Policy Council annual report from annually to triennially and 11 expand the authority of the Food Policy Council to evaluate food procurement practices 12 for District agencies and contractors that regularly purchase food and beverages. 13 14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 15 act may be cited as the “Food Policy Council Procurement Amendment Act of 2026”. 16 Sec. 2. The Food Policy Council and Director Establishment Act of 2014, effective 17 March 10, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-191; D.C. Official Code § 48-311 et seq.), is amended as follows: 18 (a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 48-311) is amended as follows: 19 (1) Paragraph (1) is redesignated as paragraph (1A). 20 (2) A new paragraph (1) is added to read as follows: 21 “(1) “Covered agency” means a District agency or agency contractor that 22 regularly procures food or beverages. The term “covered agency” shall not include a District 23 agency or agency contractor that procures food or beverages solely for vending machines or one-24 off catering services for events.”. 25 (b) Section 3(c) (D.C. Official Code § 48-312(c)) is amended to read as follows: 26

2 “(c) Beginning September 30, 2027, and every 3 years thereafter, the Food Policy 27 Council shall provide a report to the Council on the state of the local food system across the 28 District. The report shall assess District food access, including an identification of low food 29 access areas, and the state of the local food economy, and provide policy recommendations to 30 improve the local food economy and food access, including priorities for local investments.”. 31 (c) Section 5 (D.C. Official Code § 48-314) is amended as follows: 32 (1) Subsection (b) is amended as follows: 33 (A) Paragraph (5) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting 34 a semicolon in its place; 35 (B) Paragraph (6) is amended by striking the period and inserting the 36 phrase “; and” in its place. 37 (C) A new paragraph (7) is added to read as follows: 38 “(7) Oversee efforts to improve the quality of food purchased by covered agencies 39 and to ensure food procured by covered agencies aligns with District requirements, standards, 40 and goals regarding nutrition, the local economy, and environmental sustainability.”. 41 (2) New subsections (c) and (d) are added to read as follows: 42 “(c) To achieve the objectives set forth under subsection (b)(7) of this section, the Office 43 shall: 44 “(1) Advise covered agencies on developing solicitations and contracts that: 45 “(A) Align with District laws, standards, and goals regarding nutrition, the 46 local economy, and environmental sustainability; and 47

3 “(B) Require vendors to regularly report on purchased food products to 48 enable assessment of compliance with purchasing goals; 49 “(2) Collaborate with the Office of Contracting and Procurement to ensure that 50 food service solicitations reach a wide audience of high-quality prospective vendors, including 51 both for-profit and non-profit vendors; 52 “(3) Serve on evaluation panels to contribute industry and food sector subject 53 matter expertise in procurement determinations; 54 “(4) Consolidate food purchasing data from all covered agencies to track District-55 wide performance on District laws, standards, and goals for food procurement; and 56 “(5) Develop and maintain food procurement standards, practices, and templates 57 to be used in all procurements, in collaboration with the Department of Health, Department of 58 Small and Local Business Development, the Department of Energy and the Environment, and the 59 Office of Contracting and Procurement. 60 “(d) All covered agencies and the Office of Contracting and Procurement shall provide 61 all data regarding food procurement to the Office that are necessary for the Office to fulfill its 62 functions under subsection (c) of this section.”. 63 Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 64 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 65 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 66 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 67 Sec. 4. Effective date. 68

4 This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 69 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review 70 as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 71 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 72