(1) The general assembly finds and declares that:(a) A recent survey found that one in three Coloradans are 'food insecure', that is, lacking reliable access to nutritious food;(b) In addition, more than one in three adults living with children have reported regularly cutting back or skipping meals to allow their children to have enough to eat;(c) Childhood hunger can have lifelong impacts, such as interfering with developmental and educational progress;(d) Certain communities, including communities of color, seniors, and lower-income Coloradans, are prone to higher-than-average rates of food insecurity;(e) Food security and housing security are closely related issues: Both are basic needs that a family must account for, and the two can become competing priorities on a limited budget. A family's ability to pay for food is directly related to the family's ability to pay for housing, and improving one will necessarily improve the other.(f) Improving the capacity of existing small, local retailers to store and sell nutritious food can improve access, lower prices, and reduce food insecurity, particularly for Colorado families most at risk of food insecurity, while keeping more of the

retailers to store and sell nutritious food can improve access, lower prices, and reduce food insecurity, particularly for Colorado families most at risk of food insecurity, while keeping more of the proceeds of economic activity in the local community; and(g) Expanding the number of retailers selling fresh produce may also create new market opportunities for Colorado agricultural producers.(2) Therefore, the general assembly determines that enacting legislation to further support existing nutrition access efforts will improve access to nutritious food for Coloradans, assist small businesses, and foster Colorado's agricultural industry.Added by 2024 Ch. 135,§ 1, eff. 4/29/2024.