Bill > A06718

This bill, known as the "Food Retail Establishment Subsidization for Healthy Communities Act" (FRESH Communities), amends the New York State Urban Development Corporation Act to provide loans, loan guarantees, interest subsidies, and grants to businesses, municipalities, non-profit organizations, and local development corporations to attract, maintain, or expand food retail establishments in underserved areas. The bill aims to address the lack of access to fresh foods in many communities across the state, particularly in lower-income urban and rural areas, by providing financial assistance to supermarkets and other grocery retailers that meet certain criteria, such as participating in the New York Grown and Certified program, accepting SNAP and WIC payments, and hiring residents within a 20-mile radius.