SB 277 - Healthy Food Initiative Program

• Establishes the healthy food initiative program administered by the Indiana housing and community development authority to provide grants and loans to new businesses, existing businesses, and legal entities offering fresh produce and healthy foods in underserved geographic areas.

• Defines "underserved geographic area" as locations where at least 25% of households are below federal poverty level, median family income is not more than 80% of state median, or residents are more than 1-10 miles from a supermarket depending on urban/rural designation.

• Authorized uses of grants and loans include construction of new grocery stores, renovations and infrastructure upgrades to existing food retailers, farmers' markets, farm stands, food cooperatives, mobile markets, and other projects improving access to fresh produce.

• Establishes the healthy food initiative fund consisting of general assembly appropriations, donations, federal grants, and investment earnings; requires annual reporting to the general assembly on program effectiveness, jobs created, and how funds were used.

• Appropriates $75,000 annually to the healthy food initiative fund for fiscal years 2018 through 2021; program expires July 1, 2021, with outstanding loans and grants required to be repaid to the state general fund.