HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3723

                                         No. 12

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 40)

A Senate Joint Resolution concerning

Commodity Supplemental Food Commodities Program

FOR the purpose of requiring the Secretary of the Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene to establish a study the
feasibility of establishing a United States Department of
Agriculture Commodity Supplemental Food Program within the
Department; providing that the Program aid certain clients
eligible for the Women, Infants, and Children Program;
requiring that the Program be effective by a certain date;
and generally providing for a Commodity Supplemental Food
Program within the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
requiring the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene to
report the findings of the study to the Governor and the
General Assembly by a certain date; requiring that a United
States Department of Agriculture Commodity Supplement Food
Program in the Department be in effect by a certain date
applied for and if approved, be in effect at the earliest
possible date; and generally relating to a Commodity
Supplemental Food Program.

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) Program provides highly nutritious
food to low-income pregnant and lactating women, infants, and
children up to 5 years of age who are vulnerable to malnutrition;
and

WHEREAS, The Maryland WIC Program has identified 14,819
women, 20,069 infants, and 72,943 children in the State to be
eligible for benefits; and

WHEREAS, The current cap on federal funding permits only
47,000 individuals (or 44 percent of this population) to be
served; and

WHEREAS, No additional federal moneys are to be forthcoming
in the near future; and

WHEREAS, In 1981 the USDA Food and Nutrition Service has
established the Commodity Supplemental Food Program designed to
distribute to WIC eligible persons nutritious foods which have
been donated by the USDA; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene apply
for and establish a Commodity Supplemental Food Program within
the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to: