<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gag" article_name="Agriculture" number="10-2103" title_number="10" title_name="Promotion and Identification of Agricultural Products" subtitle_number="21" subtitle_name="Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is a Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Fund in the Department.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The purpose of the Fund is to provide grants to food banks and charitable emergency food providers for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The procurement of surplus, seasonal, or contractual agricultural food products;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The processing and preparation of agricultural food products for distribution; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The transportation of agricultural food products.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Department shall administer the Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Fund shall be used to provide grants to food banks and charitable emergency food providers for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The procurement of surplus, seasonal, or contractual agricultural food products;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The processing and preparation of agricultural food products for distribution; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The transportation of agricultural food products.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A food bank or charitable emergency food provider may use grant money only for food products and services sourced from the State.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>For fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $200,000 to the Fund.</text>
  </level>
</section>
