Okla. Stat. tit. 2, § 2-5-205

A. The Department shall administer the provisions of the

Healthy Food Financing Act.

B. The Department may contract with one or more nonprofit

organizations or community development financial institutions to

administer this program through a public-private partnership.

C. The Board shall adopt the rules and program eligibility

guidelines necessary to enforce and administer the Healthy Food

Financing Act, including an application process for financing and

grants. Projects that receive financing must be located in an

underserved community and primarily serve low or moderate income

communities. Projects eligible for financing include:

1. Construction of new grocery stores;

2. Construction of small food retailers; and

3. Grocery store or small food retailer renovations, expansions

and infrastructure upgrades that improve the availability and

quality of fresh produce and other healthy foods.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 2. Agriculture Page 233

D. Financing made available for projects may be expended for

the following purposes:

1. Site acquisition and preparation;

2. Construction costs;

3. Equipment and furnishings;

4. Workforce training or security;

5. Pre-development costs, including market studies and

appraisals;

6. Energy efficiency measures;

7. Working capital for first-time inventory and start-up costs;

and

8. For small food retailers, the acquisition or leasing of

refrigeration equipment, display shelving or other one-time capital

expenditure, at a cost of less than Five Thousand Dollars

($5,000.00), for the promotion and display of perishable foods,

which shall include a blend of dairy products, fresh produce, fresh

meats and poultry and fresh or frozen fish.

E. In determining which projects shall qualify for financing,

the Department shall consider:

1. The level of need of access to healthy foods in the area to

be served;

2. The degree to which the project requires an investment of

public financing to progress, create and impact on access to healthy

food;

3. The degree to which the project will have a positive

economic impact on the underserved community, including by creating

or retaining jobs for local residents;

4. The degree to which the project will participate in state

and local health department initiatives to educate consumers on

nutrition and promote healthier eating; and

5. Other criteria the Board determines to be consistent with

the purposes of this act.

F. Eligible applicants for financing shall include but are not

limited to sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability

companies, corporations, cooperatives, nonprofit organizations,

nonprofit community development entities, universities or government

entities. Applicants for financing must:

1. Demonstrate the capacity to successfully implement the

project and the likelihood that the project will be economically

self-sustaining;

2. Demonstrate the ability to repay the debt; and

3. Agree, for a period of at least five (5) years, to comply

with the following conditions:

a. to accept the benefits of The United States Department

of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 2. Agriculture Page 234

b. to apply to accept The United States Department of

Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program

for Women, Infants, and Children and to accept the

benefits, if approved,

c. to allocate at least thirty percent (30%) of food

retail space for the sale of perishable foods, which

shall include fresh dairy, produce, meats, poultry and

fish,

d. to comply with all data collection and reporting

requirements established by the Board, and

e. to promote the hiring of local residents.

G. The Board may establish monitoring and compliance mechanisms

for projects receiving financing.

H. The Department shall raise matching funds, promote the

program statewide, evaluate applicants, underwrite and disburse
roduce, meats, poultry and

fish,

d. to comply with all data collection and reporting

requirements established by the Board, and

e. to promote the hiring of local residents.

G. The Board may establish monitoring and compliance mechanisms

for projects receiving financing.

H. The Department shall raise matching funds, promote the

program statewide, evaluate applicants, underwrite and disburse

grants and loans and monitor compliance and impact.

I. The Department shall report annually to the Legislature on

the projects funded, the geographic distribution of the projects,

the costs of the program, and the outcomes, including the number and

type of jobs created and health initiatives associated with the

program.