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2010 SESSION

10102286D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 48
Offered January 13, 2010
Prefiled January 8, 2010
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the extent and cost of hunger and malnutrition in the Commonwealth. Report.
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Patrons-- Alexander and Lewis
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, 49.1 million Americans, including 16.7 million children lived in food insecure households that did not have access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members at all times; and

WHEREAS, households that included children reported experiencing food insecurity at a rate that was almost double that of households without children; and

WHEREAS, the number of Americans living in food insecure households increased by 3.5 percent between 2007 and 2008; and

WHEREAS, Bread for the World, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing hunger, reports that in 2007, 8.4 percent of all households in Virginia were food insecure, and another 2.7 percent of households were food insecure and experiencing actual hunger; and

WHEREAS, the ability to obtain sufficient food is essential to basic well-being, and

WHEREAS, increased unemployment and reduced access to federal and state benefits may limit households' ability to access food supplies; and

WHEREAS, the financial consequences of hunger and malnutrition resulting from lack of access to food supplies may be as detrimental to the Commonwealth as they are to Virginia's affected citizens; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study the extent and cost of hunger and malnutrition in the Commonwealth. The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of 11 members that shall consist of six legislative members, three nonlegislative citizen members, and two ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; two nonlegislative citizen members with experience in the areas of hunger prevention or food security to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and one nonlegislative citizen member with experience in the areas of hunger prevention or food security to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

The Commissioner of the Department of Social Services and the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or their designees shall serve ex officio with nonvoting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the joint subcommittee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall only be reimbursed for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of attending meetings. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required. The joint subcommittee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall determine the scope and nature of hunger in the Commonwealth, determine the impacts of hunger on the Commonwealth, and identify promising practices for reducing hunger.

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint subcommittee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee for this study, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2010 interim and four meetings for the 2011 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $7,200 for each year without approval as set out in this resolution. Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint subcommittee shall be adopted if a majority of the House members or a majority of the Senate members appointed to the joint subcommittee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint subcommittee.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2010, and for the second year by November 30, 2011, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year. Each executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summaries and reports shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2010 or 2011 interim.