JELCAR approves farmers-market nutrition rule, adopts missing-adult alerts and postpones multiple agency rules

The Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JELCAR) on Oct. 27 considered a slate of agency rule proposals, approving rules to implement a missing adult and missing vulnerable-adult alert program and a Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and postponing several other rule proposals so agencies can address staff comments or hold additional public hearings.

The committee adopted rules to implement the missing adult program and the missing vulnerable-adult alert program. Eva Roa, legal coordinator for the committee's legal unit, said she recently started in the role and that staffing shortages, COVID-related delays and subsequent staffing changes contributed to why the rules took longer than statutorily expected to reach JELCAR. Roa said, “I have just started. I'm about 2 months in to this job, so I am catching up as well as to why it took so long for it to get in front of you and to become a rule.” The committee approved the measure on a voice vote.

JELCAR also approved a new Farmers Market Nutrition Program rule required by 2023’s House Bill 2. Haley McLeary, nutrition service section administrator in the Bureau of Family and Health and Nutrition, said the department missed the prompt initiation of rulemaking during a staffing transition and then spent an extended period completing contracting. McLeary said the department’s contract was fully executed on Dec. 18, 2024, and that the program is scheduled to roll out this summer. The rule includes an informational note that three items—dried herbs, herb…