AB 292

This bill directs the Department of Health Services (DHS) to design and

implement a pilot program, known as Grow Wisconsin, that will operate in Dane,

Rock, and Milwaukee counties and facilitate the purchasing, by recipients under the

federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as FoodShare

in Wisconsin and formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, of foods and food

products that are grown or made in Wisconsin. FoodShare provides benefits to

eligible low-income individuals and households for the purchase of food. The

benefits, which are electronically debited to a Quest card, are paid entirely with

federal funds. FoodShare is administered by DHS, and the state and federal

governments share the cost of administration.

Under the bill, farmers' markets and grocery stores located in Dane, Rock, or

Milwaukee County that apply to, and satisfy criteria set by, DHS may participate in

Grow Wisconsin. Under the program, DHS issues to participating farmers' markets

tokens worth $2 each. For every $2 that a recipient spends on food with his or her

Quest card at a participating farmers' market, up to $20 per farmers' market per day,

the recipient receives a token, which the recipient may then use at any time at any

participating farmers' market to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy products

that were grown or made in Wisconsin. DHS issues to participating grocery stores

rewards cards worth $10 each. A recipient who spends at least $10 with his or her

Quest card on fresh fruit or vegetables at a participating grocery store receives a

rewards card, limited to one rewards card per day, from the participating grocery

store. The rewards card must be used, during the same or next shopping trip at the

participating grocery store that issued it, to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy

products that were grown or made in Wisconsin.

The bill specifies certain duties for DHS related to the pilot program, such as

establishing criteria for participation by farmers' markets and grocery stores;

establishing guidelines for labeling Wisconsin-grown or Wisconsin-made fruits,

vegetables, meats, and dairy products; and establishing accounting and reporting

requirements for farmers' markets and grocery stores. In addition, DHS must

submit a report on the program to the legislature no later than September 1, 2018.

The report must contain recommendations on making changes to the program and

whether the program should be expanded statewide. The bill appropriates $144,902

of general purpose revenue per fiscal year in the 2015-2017 fiscal biennium for the

program.