HCR41, As Adopted by Senate, November 30, 2010

            Rep. Johnson offered the following concurrent resolution:

House Concurrent Resolution No. 41.

            A concurrent resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the federal Food Desert Oasis Act to encourage the location of grocery stores in certain communities.

            Whereas, A food desert is defined as an area without supermarkets or convenient access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable food. Detroit and other urban communities in Michigan suffer greatly from this trend; and

            Whereas, Roughly 550,000 Detroiters must travel twice as far, or even farther, to get to the nearest grocery store than they have to travel to get to a fast food restaurant. This fact, combined with the lack of access to reliable public transportation and many citizens' lack of ability to drive a vehicle, leads to unhealthy eating habits borne not out of choice, but out of necessity. These citizens are statistically more likely to suffer or die prematurely from a diet-related disease, when holding other key factors constant; and

            Whereas, Efforts in Pennsylvania to create inner-city grocery stores have led to new stores and over 1,400 new jobs; and

            Whereas, Grocery store development in underserved locations goes far beyond addressing the issue of ease of access to include jobs, community economic development, and improved selection, quality, and price of food. Legislation currently before Congress would address this serious issue through pilot programs and the creation of incentives. Clearly, there is a great need to bring fairness, equality, justice, and health to all those citizens currently suffering from a lack of access to fresh food items; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the Food Desert Oasis Act to allow grocery stores locating in cities designated as having food deserts to be eligible for an increased rehabilitation tax credit and a food desert employment tax credit; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the United States House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.