Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5214 Chapter 127, Laws of 2025 69TH LEGISLATURE 2025 REGULAR SESSION MOBILE MARKET PROGRAMS—NUTRITION ACCESS EFFECTIVE DATE: March 1, 2026 Passed by the Senate February 12, 2025 Yeas 49 Nays 0 DENNY HECK President of the Senate Passed by the House April 10, 2025 Yeas 94 Nays 1 LAURIE JINKINS Speaker of the House of Representatives CERTIFICATE I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5214 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. SARAH BANNISTER Secretary Secretary Approved April 22, 2025 9:45 AM FILED April 22, 2025 BOB FERGUSON Governor of the State of Washington Secretary of State State of Washington SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5214 Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senate Human Services (originally sponsored by Senators Shewmake, Harris, Wellman, Kauffman, Stanford, Chapman, Riccelli, Saldaña, Hasegawa, Krishnadasan, Nobles, Slatter, and Valdez) READ FIRST TIME 01/23/25. AN ACT Relating to mobile market programs; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that small local farmers play a crucial role in providing communities with access to fresh, healthy foods. Farmers markets provide a place for local farmers to sell their products, encouraging consumption of fresh products in the communities in which they were grown. The legislature recognizes that some households may live in rural areas or food deserts where access to farmers markets and fresh food is limited. There are a number of programs to help increase access to fresh, healthy foods for low-income communities. The farmers market nutrition program was established by congress in 1992 to provide fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to women, infants, and children program participants and to expand the awareness, use of, and sales at farmers markets which benefits both program participants and local farmers. Similarly, the senior farmers market nutrition program provides low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits and vegetables. Participants in both programs commonly use their food benefit at farmers markets, farms, and farm stands. The legislature further recognizes that other states including Pennsylvania and Virginia also allow mobile market providers to accept both women, infants, and children and senior farmers market nutrition program benefits. This provides greater nutritional support to households that may live in a rural area, an area without access to a farmers market, or in a food desert. In these states, eligible low-income households are still able to access fresh, healthy foods which not only benefits that household, but benefits the local farmers as well. It is hereby the intent of the legislature to provide participants of both the women, infants, and children and senior farmers market nutrition programs access to fresh, healthy food through nonprofit mobile markets to promote access to fresh, healthy food regardless of a household's proximity to a farmers market. NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows: (1) The mobile market program is established in the department with the goals of providing increased nutrition access to participants of the women, infant, and children and senior farmers market nutrition program, while also supporting local farmers. (2) The mobile market program is available to participants of the women, infant, and children and senior farmers market nutrition programs so long as funding is made available to the department through the United States department of agriculture. (3) The department shall define the mobile market program through rule making. At a minimum, the definition must require mobile market programs to be operated by a nonprofit organization and prevent competition between a mobile market and a farmers market that is participating in the farmers market nutrition program. (4) The department shall conduct rule making consistent with this section to establish the mobile market program. (5) If the department deems it necessary to file a waiver, the department shall file a waiver with the United States department of agriculture to allow mobile market programs to accept both women, infants, and children and senior farmers market nutrition program benefits. NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act takes effect March 1, 2026. Passed by the Senate February 12, 2025. Passed by the House April 10, 2025. Approved by the Governor April 22, 2025. Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 22, 2025.
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