STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9669
IN SENATE
April 1, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT establishing the food price equity task force
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. 1. There is hereby created a task force on food price equi-
2 ty with the purpose of studying racialized food pricing disparities.
3 2. The task force shall consist of nineteen members appointed as
4 follows:
5 a. one member appointed by the department of agriculture and markets;
6 b. one member appointed by the department of state's division of
7 consumer protection;
8 c. one member appointed by the department of health;
9 d. one member appointed by the attorney general's office;
10 e. three members appointed by the governor;
11 f. three members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
12 g. three members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
13 h. one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
14 i. one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and
15 j. four members appointed by the other task force members that
16 specialize in food policy and consumer protection.
17 3. It shall be the duty of the task force to study and issue recommen-
18 dations related to food price equity by, including, but not limited to,
19 requesting anonymized retailer pricing data, conducting surveys and
20 audits, holding public hearings, and receiving community testimony. The
21 task force shall review and make recommendations on:
22 a. price disparities between low-income communities and their nearest
23 affluent communities;
24 b. whether disparities persist after controlling wholesale, labor,
25 rent, and distribution costs;
26 c. the relationship between benefit reimbursement timelines and retail
27 pricing;
28 d. racial and geographic impacts on food pricing disparities;
29 e. public health outcomes associated with inflated food costs; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14762-01-6
S. 9669 2
1 f. the effectiveness of captive-market protections.
2 4. Vacancies in membership of the task force shall be filled in the
3 same manner as the original appointments were made. The members of the
4 task force shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for
5 necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
6 5. The task force shall organize as soon as is practical upon the
7 appointment of a majority of its members. The chair of the task force
8 shall be designated by a simple majority vote of all members of the task
9 force.
10 6. The department shall provide staff and related support services to
11 the task force. The task force shall also be entitled to call upon the
12 services of any state, county, or municipal department, board, commis-
13 sion or agency, as may be available to it for these purposes, and to
14 incur such traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem
15 necessary for the proper execution of its duties and as may be within
16 the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for
17 these purposes. The task force may meet and hold hearings at such plac-
18 es as it shall designate.
19 7. The task force shall create a final report regarding all findings
20 and recommendations to be delivered no later than eighteen months after
21 the effective date of this section, to the governor, the temporary pres-
22 ident of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly. Such report shall
23 include statutory recommendations, enforcement models and recommenda-
24 tions on expanding and modifying the affluent market comparison stand-
25 ard.
26 8. The legislature shall hold hearings within ninety days of receiving
27 the final report described in subdivision seven of this section. Imple-
28 menting legislation shall be introduced within one legislative session
29 after receipt of such report.
30 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
