Senate declares Kentucky a 'food is medicine' state and directs agencies to expand local nutrition programs

The Kentucky Senate on the floor passed Senate Joint Resolution 23, declaring Kentucky a "food is medicine" state and directing state agencies to advance nutrition-focused health initiatives.

Senator Sandra Campbell, sponsor of the committee substitute for SJR 23, said the resolution "declares Kentucky a food is medicine state, and it directs our state agencies to advance food is medicine initiatives across the commonwealth." She said the measure aims to integrate nutrition into health care, scale proven pilots such as produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals for high-risk populations, and evaluate outcomes so programs can be expanded.

Campbell credited existing collaborations between the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), saying hospitals have implemented food-as-medicine programs and the Department has convened statewide food-system partners. "This resolution builds directly on the foundation already established by these partnerships," she said, adding that the declaration is a statewide signal to align agencies and create purchasing pathways that can increase market opportunities for Kentucky growers.

Supporters from the floor gave local examples. The senator from Taylor noted a partnership between Green River Meats and Taylor Regional Hospital and school meal support as a model for local sourcing. The senator from Callaway emphasized Kentucky's chronic disease burden and said locally produced foods coordinated with health care can improve outcomes.

The measure was considered under Senate Committee Substitute 1 and the substitute was adopted by the Senate before final passage. With no members requesting further discussion, the clerk called the roll; the presiding officer announced 35 "aye" votes, no nays, and declared SJR 23 as amended passed.

SJR 23 is a joint resolution directing state agencies to coordinate with KHA, KDA and other partners to advance pilots and evaluate results; it does not appropriate new state funding on its face. The resolution directs executive-branch agencies to align actions and report progress through existing administrative channels. The Senate recessed for committee meetings after passage and took up other ceremonial resolutions and business before adjourning.

Next steps: Because SJR 23 is a joint resolution directing agency action, implementation will depend on follow-up by the cited agencies and any budget or statutory changes required to scale programs beyond existing pilots.