RCW 43.70.780
Fruit and vegetable incentives program.
(1) The fruit and vegetable incentives program is established to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among food insecure individuals with limited incomes. The fruit and vegetable incentives program includes:
(a) Farmers market basic food incentives to provide eligible participants with extra benefits to purchase fruits and vegetables at authorized farmers markets when the participant uses basic food benefits;
(b) Grocery store basic food incentives to provide eligible participants with extra benefits to purchase fruits and vegetables at authorized grocery stores when the participant uses basic food benefits; and
(c) Fruit and vegetable vouchers provided by a health care provider, health educator, community health worker, or other health professional to an eligible participant for use at an authorized farmers market or grocery store.
(2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer the fruit and vegetable incentives program. As part of its duties, the department shall:
(a) Collaborate with other state agencies whose missions and programs closely align with the fruit and vegetable incentives program, including the department of social and health services and the department of agriculture, in the development and implementation of the program;
(b) Provide resources, coordination, and technical assistance to program partners for targeted outreach to food insecure populations and for administration of the program. Program partners may include farmers markets, grocery stores, government agencies, health care systems, and nonprofit organizations; and
(c) Adopt rules to implement this section.
(3) Farmers market basic food incentives may be provided to eligible participants for use at farmers markets authorized by the department. The incentives are additional funds that may be used to purchase eligible fruits and vegetables as defined by the department. When authorizing a participating farmers market, the department may give preference to a farmers market that accepts or has previously accepted supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, has the capacity to accept supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, or is located in a county with a high level of food insecurity, as defined by the department.
(4) Grocery store basic food incentives may be provided to eligible participants for use at a grocery store that is an authorized supplemental nutrition assistance program retailer and approved by the department. The incentives are additional funds that may be used to purchase eligible fruits and vegetables as defined by the department. When approving a participating grocery store, the department may give preference to a store that is located in a county with a high level of food insecurity.
(5) Fruit and vegetable vouchers are cash-value vouchers that may be distributed by a participating health care provider, health educator, community health worker, or other health professional to a patient who is eligible for basic food and has a qualifying health condition, as defined by the department, or is food insecure. The voucher may be redeemed at a participating retailer, including an authorized farmers market or grocery store. The department shall approve participating health care systems and may give preference to systems that have operated fruit and vegetable prescription programs, routinely screen patients for food insecurity, have a high percentage of patients who are medicaid clients, or are located in a county with a high level of food insecurity.
(6) Subject to the availability of funds, the department must evaluate the fruit and vegetable incentives program effectiveness. When conducting the evaluation, the department must collect information related to fruit and vegetable consumption by eligible participants, levels of food security, and likely impacts on public health outcomes as a result of the program. By July 1, 2021, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the department must submit a progress report to the governor and the legislature describing the results of the program and recommending any legislative or programmatic changes to improve the effectiveness of program delivery. By December 1, 2023, the department must submit a complete program evaluation describing the program's effectiveness and including any additional recommendations for program improvements.
(7) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "Eligible participant" means:
(i) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section, a recipient of basic food benefits, including the supplemental nutrition assistance program and the food assistance program, as authorized under Title 74 RCW; or
(ii) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c) of this section, a person who is determined to be food insecure by a participating health care provider.
(b) "Food insecure" means a state in which consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.
[ 2019 c 168 § 2.]
NOTES:
Findings—Intent—2019 c 168: "(1) The legislature finds that nearly eleven percent of Washington households, including more than two hundred eighty thousand children, are food insecure with limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods. The legislature further finds that food insecurity contributes to poor quality diets; chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension; and negative outcomes for children and families, including harmful effects on behavioral health. Further, food insecurity disproportionately affects people with low incomes, people of color, and rural residents.
(2) The legislature finds that food assistance programs such as the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children and the supplemental nutrition assistance program are effective in significantly reducing food insecurity; that participants report difficulty affording and accessing healthy foods; and that fruit and vegetable consumption among such food assistance program participants is far below national dietary guidelines.
(3) The legislature finds that the state department of health has successfully managed a food insecurity nutrition incentives grant from the United States department of agriculture that provides a framework for providing fruit and vegetable incentives for low-income shoppers and that those federal funds are set to expire in March 2020. Further, the legislature finds that more than two million dollars in fruit and vegetable incentives have been redeemed by food insecure Washingtonians through this grant, helping to alleviate food insecurity and increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
(4) Therefore, the legislature intends to create a state fruit and vegetable incentives program to benefit people who are food insecure, our agricultural industry, and retailers across the state." [ 2019 c 168 § 1.]
Structure Revised Code of Washington
Title 43 - State Government—Executive
Chapter 43.70 - Department of Health.
43.70.020 - Department created.
43.70.030 - Secretary of health.
43.70.040 - Secretary's powers—Rule-making authority—Report to the legislature.
43.70.041 - Five-year formal review process of existing rules.
43.70.045 - Warren Featherstone Reid Award for Excellence in Health Care.
43.70.047 - Warren Featherstone Reid Award for Excellence in Health Care.
43.70.050 - Collection, use, and accessibility of health-related data.
43.70.053 - Hospital consolidated annual income—Reporting.
43.70.054 - Health care data standards—Submittal of standards to legislature.
43.70.060 - Duties of department—Promotion of health care cost-effectiveness.
43.70.068 - Quality assurance—Interagency cooperation.
43.70.070 - Duties of department—Analysis of health services.
43.70.075 - Identity of whistleblower protected—Remedy for retaliatory action—Definitions—Rules.
43.70.080 - Transfer of powers and duties from the department of social and health services.
43.70.090 - Authority to administer oaths and issue subpoenas—Provisions governing subpoenas.
43.70.097 - Enforcement in accordance with RCW 43.05.100 and 43.05.110.
43.70.110 - License fees—Costs—Other charges—Waiver.
43.70.115 - Licenses—Denial, suspension, revocation, modification.
43.70.120 - Federal programs—Rules—Statutes to be construed to meet federal law.
43.70.125 - Health care facility certification—Unfunded federal mandates—Applicant fees.
43.70.130 - Powers and duties of secretary—General.
43.70.140 - Annual conference of health officers.
43.70.150 - Registration of vital statistics.
43.70.190 - Violations—Injunctions and legal proceedings authorized.
43.70.195 - Public water systems—Receivership actions brought by secretary—Plan for disposition.
43.70.210 - Right of person to rely on prayer to alleviate ailments not abridged.
43.70.220 - Transfer of powers and duties from the department of licensing.
43.70.230 - Office of health consumer assistance created—Duties.
43.70.240 - Written operating agreements.
43.70.250 - License fees for professions, occupations, and businesses.
43.70.270 - License moratorium for persons in the service—Rules.
43.70.290 - Funeral directors and embalmers subject to chapter 18.130 RCW.
43.70.310 - Cooperation with department of ecology.
43.70.323 - Hospital infection control grant account.
43.70.327 - Public health supplemental account—Annual statement.
43.70.334 - Temporary worker housing—Definition.
43.70.337 - Temporary worker housing building permit—Plans and specifications—Fees—Rules.
43.70.400 - Head injury prevention—Legislative finding.
43.70.410 - Head injury prevention—Program, generally.
43.70.420 - Head injury prevention—Information preparation.
43.70.435 - Diagnosed concussions of students—Report.
43.70.440 - Head injury prevention act—Short title—1990 c 270.
43.70.444 - Washington plan for suicide prevention—Steering committee—Report.
43.70.446 - Suicide-safer homes project—Suicide-safer homes project account.
43.70.470 - Retired health care provider liability malpractice insurance—Conditions.
43.70.480 - Emergency medical personnel—Futile treatment and natural death directives—Guidelines.
43.70.495 - Telemedicine training for health care professionals.
43.70.500 - Health care services practice indicators and risk management protocols.
43.70.510 - Health care services coordinated quality improvement program—Rules.
43.70.512 - Public health system—Foundational public health services—Intent.
43.70.515 - Foundational public health services—Funding.
43.70.525 - Immunization assessment and enhancement proposals by local jurisdictions.
43.70.526 - Childhood immunizations—Resources for expecting parents.
43.70.533 - Chronic conditions—Training and technical assistance for primary care providers.
43.70.540 - Data collection—Legislative finding and intent.
43.70.545 - Data collection and reporting rules.
43.70.550 - Public health services improvement plan—Contents.
43.70.555 - Assessment standards.
43.70.560 - Media violence—Reporting reduction efforts.
43.70.590 - American Indian health care delivery plan.
43.70.595 - Health equity zones.
43.70.600 - Survey regarding exposure to radio frequencies—Results.
43.70.605 - Personal wireless services—Random testing on power density analysis—Rules.
43.70.610 - Domestic violence education program—Established—Findings.
43.70.613 - Health care professionals—Health equity continuing education.
43.70.617 - Prenatal nutrition best practices—Educational resources for pregnant women.
43.70.619 - Pregnancy complications—Informational resources.
43.70.620 - List of contacts—Health care professions.
43.70.630 - Cost-reimbursement agreements.
43.70.640 - Workplace breastfeeding policies—Infant-friendly designation.
43.70.645 - Donor human milk—Milk bank safety standards.
43.70.650 - School sealant endorsement program—Rules—Fee—Report to the legislature.
43.70.660 - Product safety education.
43.70.665 - Early detection breast and cervical cancer screening program—Medical advisory committee.
43.70.670 - Human immunodeficiency virus insurance program.
43.70.675 - Public health advisory board.
43.70.680 - Volunteers for emergency or disaster assistance.
43.70.690 - State asthma plan.
43.70.705 - Fall prevention program.
43.70.715 - COVID-19 public health response account.
43.70.720 - Universal vaccine purchase account.
43.70.725 - Health extension program—Dissemination of evidence-based tools and resources—Rules.
43.70.738 - Down syndrome resources—Development.
43.70.740 - Adjudicative proceedings.
43.70.765 - Opioid drugs—Warning—Patient education materials.
43.70.770 - State opioid response plan.
43.70.780 - Fruit and vegetable incentives program.
43.70.790 - Health care facility inspection and investigation availability.
43.70.800 - Oversight, consolidation, and standardization—Review.
43.70.810 - Provision of medical information—Dissemination of requirements and authority.
43.70.815 - Environmental health disparities map.
43.70.820 - Environmental justice obligations of the department of health.
43.70.825 - School-based health center program office.
43.70.835 - Lead contamination in drinking water in school buildings—State-tribal compact schools.
43.70.840 - Lead contamination in drinking water in school buildings—Technical guidance.
43.70.850 - Suicide-safer homes task force.
43.70.901 - References to the director or department of licensing—1989 1st ex.s. c 9.
43.70.902 - References to the hospital commission—1989 1st ex.s. c 9.