AZ HB2706

Establishes a three-year Food as Medicine Grant Pilot Program within the Arizona Department of Health Services to address nutrition, diet-related illnesses, and poor health outcomes.

Department must award at least five grants by March 1, 2023 to entities addressing nutrition education, healthy food access for children/families/elderly, local food supply chains, diet-related disease reduction, and integration of healthcare with food and nutrition programming.

Requires at least two of the five grants be awarded to recipients in rural service areas, with priority given to applicants demonstrating multi-sector collaboration.

Department must submit progress reports on November 1, 2024 and June 1, 2026 to the Governor, Legislature leadership, and relevant committees on pilot program impact and goals.

Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state general fund for fiscal year 2022-2023, with unspent monies reverting to the general fund on July 1, 2026; the program terminates June 30, 2026.