---
title: HB 996. Agriculture, Department of; food deserts; require annual reporting
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb996
cite_as: HB 996, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb996
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb996.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb996/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72263
date: 2026-01-27
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb996.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 996
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-15
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Bryce Berry
- Robert Dawson
- Imani Barnes
- Kim Schofield
- Angie O'Steen
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB996/2025
upstream_id: 2083468
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- food deserts
- agriculture policy
- public health
- grocery access
- state reporting requirements
---
# HB 996. Agriculture, Department of; food deserts; require annual reporting
## Text
House Bill 996
By: Representatives Berry of the 56th, Dawson of the 65th, Barnes of the 86th, Schofield of the
63rd, and O’Steen of the 169th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 2 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Department of Agriculture, so as to require annual reporting by such department regarding
food deserts in this state; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide
for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 2 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department
of Agriculture, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"2-2-14.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Farmers' market' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 2-10-52.
(2) 'Food desert' means an area with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent where at least
one-third of the population lives more than one mile away from a retail food store or
farmers' market, which results in the population of such area having low access to fresh
fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods.
(3) 'Retail food store' means a food store that has reported at least $2 million in annual
sales and contains all the major food departments found in a traditional supermarket or
large grocery store, including, but not limited to, fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat
and poultry, dairy, dry and packaged foods, and frozen foods.
(b) Beginning October 31, 2026, and no later than October 31 of each year thereafter, the
department, in coordination with the Division of Family and Children Services of the
Department of Human Services, shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly an
annual report:
(1) Identifying the locations of food deserts within this state;
(2) Providing information about health issues associated with such food deserts; and
(3) Outlining recommendations on reducing the number and size of such food deserts.
(c) An annual report containing information derived, whether in whole or in part, from
material disseminated by the federal government addressing any of the reporting
requirements outlined in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (b) of this Code section
shall satisfy the respective reporting requirement or requirements."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would require the Department of Agriculture to publish an annual report identifying food deserts across the state and recommending ways to shrink them.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia does not currently require any state agency to formally track or report on food deserts, areas where residents live far from grocery stores and have poor access to fresh food. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's agriculture code (O.C.G.A. § 2-2-14) that defines a food desert as an area with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent where at least a third of residents live more than a mile from a retail food store or farmers market.
Starting October 31, 2026, and every year after, the Department of Agriculture, working with the Division of Family and Children Services in the Department of Human Services, must submit an annual report to the General Assembly. The report must map out where food deserts exist, describe the health problems linked to them, and recommend ways to reduce their number and size. The department can rely on existing federal data to meet these requirements. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or lets it become law without a signature.
### What it does
- Creates a new legal definition of 'food desert' in Georgia law based on poverty rate and distance from grocery stores or farmers markets.
- Defines 'retail food store' as a full-service grocery store with at least $2 million in annual sales and standard supermarket departments.
- Requires the Department of Agriculture to submit an annual report on food deserts to the General Assembly starting October 31, 2026.
- Directs the Department of Agriculture to coordinate with the Division of Family and Children Services on the report.
- Requires the report to identify food desert locations, describe related health issues, and recommend ways to reduce them.
- Allows the department to satisfy reporting requirements using existing federal government data instead of generating new data.
### Who it affects
The Department of Agriculture and the Division of Family and Children Services, which must produce the report, as well as Georgia residents living in low-income areas with limited access to grocery stores, whose neighborhoods would be studied and mapped under the new reporting requirement.
### Why it matters
Georgians in underserved areas would gain a state-level accounting of where food access is worst and why, information that lawmakers could use when deciding on future grocery access or public health programs, though the bill itself does not fund or create any new food access programs.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds Code Section 2-2-14, defining 'food desert' as an area with 20 percent or greater poverty where a third of residents live over a mile from a retail food store or farmers market.
- Section 1 defines 'retail food store' as a store with at least $2 million in annual sales carrying standard supermarket departments like fresh produce, meat, dairy, and frozen foods.
- Subsection (b) requires the Department of Agriculture, with the Division of Family and Children Services, to submit an annual report starting October 31, 2026.
- Subsection (b) requires the report to cover food desert locations, associated health issues, and recommendations for reducing them.
- Subsection (c) allows federal data to satisfy any of the report's requirements.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it becomes law without a signature.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-15)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-01-27)
- Sponsors: Bryce Berry, Robert Dawson, Imani Barnes, Kim Schofield, Angie O'Steen
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72263
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb996.md?full=1