Bill
HB 1965
Creates the Arkansas Healthy Food Retailer Program to provide grants and loans to retailers expanding access to fresh, affordable produce in underserved communities.
Note on source material and scope
The metadata and the body text provided appear to include multiple, conflicting items (a Lee County title, the full text of an Arkansas bill creating a Healthy Food Retailer Program, and a short Illinois appropriation bill). Below I summarize the substantive Arkansas text (the Arkansas Healthy Food Retail Act of 2025) which is the principal legislative text included. If you intended the Lee County assessment bill or the Illinois appropriation, tell me which state/version you want and I will prepare a focused summary.
Purpose and intent
- Establishes the "Arkansas Healthy Food Retail Act of 2025" to increase access to fresh, affordable, healthy foods in underserved rural and urban communities.
- Legislative findings cite high obesity rates, poor access to supermarkets in low‑income/minority/rural areas, and the public‑health and economic benefits of improved retail food access.
Key provisions
- Creates the Healthy Food Retailer Program to provide funding (grants, loans, or both) to healthy food retailers that expand access to fresh fruits, vegetables and other affordable healthy food in underserved communities.
- Program administration: to be run by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), which may contract with qualified nonprofits, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), or consultants to design/administer the program, leverage funds, underwrite loans, monitor compliance, and evaluate impact.
- Eligible projects and uses:
- Construction of new supermarkets/grocery stores;
- Predevelopment, renovations, store expansion, infrastructure upgrades;
- Farmers’ markets, public markets, food co‑ops, mobile markets, delivery and distribution projects;
- Equity investments, credit enhancement, subordinate debt, interest‑rate buy‑downs;
- Site acquisition/preparation; equipment; furnishings; workforce training; security; market studies and appraisals; working capital/start‑up inventory; consulting and technical assistance.
- Exclusions and limits: restaurants are ineligible. Funding is competitive and subject to available funds.
- Eligible applicants: for‑profit and nonprofit retailers, cooperatives, sole proprietors, partnerships, LLCs, corporations, community development entities, institutions of higher education, and governmental entities.
Eligibility criteria and conditions
- Projects must serve an “underserved community” (low‑income/low‑access/high‑poverty) as defined in statute.
- Applicants must demonstrate a measurable commitment to selling fresh produce (standard set by the commission).
- Applicants must accept SNAP and WIC benefits.
- Award decisions will be based on demonstrated capacity, project feasibility, likelihood of success, economic impact, and alignment with program goals.
Who is affected
- Residents of Arkansas underserved communities (improved access to healthy food).
- Healthy food retailers, farmers, market operators, CDFIs, and community organizations seeking funding.
- AEDC and partnering nonprofits/CDFIs for program administration.
Procedural/timeline aspects
- The statute conditions awards “to the extent funds are available.”
- The provided legislative actions indicate the bill moved through committee, was passed by the legislature, and was approved by the governor in 2025 (records show gubernatorial approval/Act numbering in 2025). Users should confirm the final enrolled Act number and effective date in official Arkansas state records.
Recommended next steps
- Verify final enacted text and Act number with Arkansas legislative records to confirm any later amendments or appropriation of funds.
- If you intended the Lee County assessment bill or the Illinois appropriation (also present in the source), indicate which and I will produce a targeted summary.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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