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Delegate Metzger seeks office and programs to expand produce access to Maryland communities
Summary
Delegate Rick Metzger introduced HB1626 to create a food security coordination office in the Maryland Department of Agriculture, establish a rural‑to‑urban produce distribution program, finance Maryland‑grown produce projects, and expand farm‑to‑school nutrition education; committee members asked for clarification on fiscal figures in the bill's note.
Delegate Rick Metzger, sponsor of House Bill 1626, told the House Environment and Transportation Committee that the bill would create a food security coordination office inside the Maryland Department of Agriculture and a rural‑to‑urban produce distribution program to connect local farmers with urban and suburban communities experiencing food insecurity.
"For the record, I'm Delegate Rick Metzger from Legislative District 6 in Baltimore County," Metzger said, and described the measure as the Maryland Food Security Access and Equity Act. He asked the committee for a favorable report and said the bill would also establish a financing program to stabilize and expand Maryland‑grown produce for certain communities and support partnerships to produce a statewide food security report.
Metzger said the bill would "alter the Jane Lawton farm to school program to support nutrition education through school gardens related to food security and access equity," and indicated the intent is to link growers with neighborhoods facing limited access to fresh produce.
Committee members pressed for fiscal details. Vice Chair Clayton and others asked whether the Appropriations Committee had reviewed the bill's fiscal note; members read aloud figures from the note during questioning. The transcript records committee discussion of an expenditures figure of $1,420,000 and a separate "5.4" figure read during the hearing. Metzger said the committee had just received some materials while walking into the room and that he would follow up with additional detail and witnesses who could better explain the numbers.
Metzger also said the hearing was "sponsor‑only" because the bill came out of rules, and he noted that a panel originally expected to testify could not attend on short notice. He identified Matthew Capadano as "the manager of government relations" who understands the bill and asked that the committee allow Capadano to speak if needed.
The hearing concluded after members requested clarifications about the fiscal note and whether Appropriations had signed off; no vote was recorded at the hearing.
What happens next: The committee recessed before its scheduled vote window; committee members asked the sponsor to provide the fiscal clarifications requested before further consideration.
