2026 Regular Session - Day 25 - HJR 25 | Rep. Deanna Frazier Gordon

House Joint Resolution 25 recognizes and scales a proven Kentucky partnership, the Kentucky Hospital Association and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, into a statewide framework for success. This resolution aligns state agencies around a clear direction, integrating nutrition into care and public health and intentionally connecting that work to Kentucky-grown products. Kentucky is carrying a heavy chronic disease burden, conditions like diabetes and heart disease that are deeply connected to diet and access. Our hospitals see the downstream effects every day. Food as medicine interventions, like produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals for high-risk populations, are designed to improve outcomes and reduce avoidable costs. This resolution directs agencies to coordinate with the Kentucky Hospital Association and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to advance pilot studies and to, more importantly, evaluate those results so we can measure impact and make smart policy decisions going forward. This resolution is not about importing solutions. It is about building Kentucky's capacity to feed Kentucky through public-private partnerships that help local food systems work for our communities. When hospitals and health partners can source locally in a structured way, we create dependable demand. That means new markets for farmers and producers, more economic activity in rural communities and a stronger statewide food system while simultaneously improving health. Mr. Speaker, Kentucky is positioned to lead nationally. This resolution is being recognized as the first of its kind in the nation, a statewide declaration that food is medicine and not just a slogan but a strategic direction. I move for passage.