MA H112

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency must develop and maintain a plan supporting agricultural, seafood, and processed food production during emergencies, coordinating with multiple departments and updating every 5 years

Creates a full-time food system coordinator position to inventory state food programs, facilitate cross-agency collaboration, track metrics, and report findings before each Food Policy Council meeting

Establishes a $3,000,000 annual Next Generation Farmers Fund for agricultural workforce development grants to higher education institutions, vocational schools, and community organizations training first-time farmers

Requires annual reporting on local food distribution through state assistance programs including MEFAP, HIP, universal free school meals, and senior nutrition programs, with recommendations for increasing local food access

Strengthens farmland preservation by giving the Department of Agricultural Resources a secondary right of first refusal when Chapter 61A agricultural land is sold or converted, and creates a central registry of all agricultural and horticultural land with an interactive public map