HR 357 — A Resolution establishing a legislative Hunger Task Force to study and make findings and recommendations for alleviating hunger, addressing food insecurity and increasing access to healthy food in this Commonwealth.

PRINTER'S NO.    2526

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 357
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY A. BROWN, GUZMAN, HILL-EVANS, FREEMAN, KHAN,
        MERSKI, WAXMAN, VENKAT, KENYATTA, PIELLI, POWELL, HOWARD,
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, NEILSON, GALLAGHER, SANCHEZ, CIRESI,
        K.HARRIS, HAMM, KAUFFMAN, JAMES, E. NELSON, MAYES,
        SCHLOSSBERG, HOHENSTEIN, HANBIDGE, RIVERA, BOROWSKI AND
        WARREN, OCTOBER 24, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, OCTOBER 27, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Establishing a legislative Hunger Task Force to study and make
 2      findings and recommendations for alleviating hunger,
 3      addressing food insecurity and increasing access to healthy
 4      food in this Commonwealth.
 5      WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture defines
 6   food insecurity as the lack of access, at times, to enough food
 7   for an active, healthy life; and
 8      WHEREAS, Food insecurity is linked to a multitude of factors
 9   such as household income and expenses, access to affordable
10   health care and social and physical environments; and
11      WHEREAS, While Federal income-based assistance programs such
12   as SNAP and WIC provide an important safety net for low-income
13   individuals and families, more than 41% of Pennsylvanians who
14   experience food insecurity are above the income thresholds to
15   qualify for those programs; and
16      WHEREAS, Moreover, a majority of people facing hunger live
17   above the Federal poverty line; and
 1        WHEREAS, More than 1,710,400, or one in eight, Pennsylvanians
 2   experienced food insecurity in 2023; and
 3        WHEREAS, Children are particularly impacted as the number of
 4   children in Pennsylvania who were facing hunger increased by
 5   14.6% from 2022 to 2023; and
 6        WHEREAS, With 475,000 children in Pennsylvania facing hunger
 7   in 2023, Pennsylvania became the seventh leading state in
 8   childhood food insecurity; and
 9        WHEREAS, People with disabilities, people living in rural
10   areas and people of color are disproportionately impacted by
11   food insecurity; and
12        WHEREAS, Chronic hunger places individuals at an increased
13   risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes,
14   hypertension, kidney disease and colorectal cancer; and
15        WHEREAS, Food insecurity affects families' economic stability
16   and children's ability to learn and grow; and
17        WHEREAS, Food insecurity is a complex but acute problem that
18   calls for multifaceted and collaborative solutions; therefore be
19   it
20        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives establish a
21   legislative Hunger Task Force to study and make findings and
22   recommendations for alleviating hunger, addressing food
23   insecurity and increasing access to healthy food in this
24   Commonwealth; and be it further
25        RESOLVED, That the findings and recommendations of the task
26   force may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
27            (1)   Relevant data:
28                  (i)   considering the history of food insecurity and
29            food access in this Commonwealth, including prior
30            governmental and nongovernmental efforts to alleviate

20250HR0357PN2526                      - 2 -
 1          hunger, address food insecurity and increase access to
 2          healthy food;
 3                (ii)    evaluating the current state of food insecurity
 4          and food access in this Commonwealth; and
 5                (iii)   examining other governments' efforts to reduce
 6          hunger, address food insecurity and increase access to
 7          healthy food.
 8          (2)   Legislation or other legislative action or
 9      regulatory action to further the goals of alleviating hunger,
10      addressing food insecurity and increasing access to healthy
11      food in this Commonwealth;
12   and be it further
13      RESOLVED, That the task force consist of two members of the
14   Senate, including one member from the majority party of the
15   Senate and one member from the minority party of the Senate and
16   five members of the House of Representatives, including three
17   members from the majority party of the House of Representatives
18   and two members from the minority party of the House of
19   Representatives; and be it further
20      RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives
21   appoint the chair of the task force from among the members of
22   the task force; and be it further
23      RESOLVED, That the expenses of the task force be paid by the
24   Chief Clerk from appropriation accounts under the Chief Clerk's
25   exclusive control and jurisdiction upon a written request
26   approved by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the
27   Majority Leader of the House of Representatives or the Minority
28   Leader of the House of Representatives; and be it further
29      RESOLVED, That the task force submit a final report to the
30   Senate and the House of Representatives with its findings and

20250HR0357PN2526                     - 3 -
1   recommendations, which shall be made available to the public.




20250HR0357PN2526                - 4 -