AB405

Existing law requires the Director of the State Department of Agriculture to establish certain programs relating to the supply of food in this State, including the Supplemental Food Program and the Home Feeds Nevada Agriculture Food Purchase Program. (NRS 561.495, 561.515) Existing law further sets forth various provisions to encourage the development of community gardens and urban farms in this State which: (1) require certain entities, including the Council on Food Security within the Department of Health and Human Services, to promote or encourage such development; (2) authorize certain entities to use or lease certain land for the purpose of community gardening or urban farming; and (3) authorize a partial abatement of certain taxes for a parcel on which a community garden or urban farm is located. (NRS 232.4966, 232.4968, 244.291, 244.339, 268.0191, 408.507, 528.135) This bill directs the Council to conduct a study to evaluate food insecurity in this State and develop strategies to coordinate statewide efforts to address food insecurity which must include, without limitation: (1) an evaluation of the existing laws and policies in this State that are designed to address food insecurity; (2) the identification of areas in this State where community gardens or urban farms could be developed to reduce levels of food insecurity; (3) a study of the coordination of the efforts of certain entities to reduce food insecurity; and (4) recommendations for strategies to reduce food i