Committee endorses state food-deserts work group, citing county need for better grocery access data
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Summary
The committee voted unanimously to support legislation establishing a state work group to study food deserts, a one-time consultant cost was identified, and staff said the county should engage to ensure local needs are reflected.
The Prince George's County General Assembly Committee voted 4–0 on March 11 to support House Bill 14 34 / Senate Bill 353, which establishes a food-deserts work group to assess locations, causes and interventions across Maryland.
Daryl Carrington, a consultant presenting the bill, said the Department of Housing and Community Development would staff the group and that a consultant would likely be needed; he cited a one-time cost of $75,000 for fiscal 2026 to support technical work. The group would inventory food deserts statewide, study strategies to attract supermarkets and craft recommendations in a report due Nov. 1 of the following year.
Why it matters: Several areas of Prince George's County are already identified by state and county officials as underserved for full-service grocery stores. Committee members said the county should engage with the work group to ensure its data and local programs are considered as the state develops incentives.
Committee action: The committee moved a favorable position on HB 14 34; the roll call recorded a unanimous vote to support the bill and encouraged county engagement with the work group.
Next steps: Committee staff will coordinate with county departments to participate and to submit county-specific information to the work group.