THE H.E.A.L. ACT HAS BEEN WEAPONIZED BY DOH VS COTTAGE FOOD
A DEEP DIVE INTO POLITICS VS WASHINGTON'S COTTAGE FOOD PROGRAM
The Washington HEAL Act (Healthy Environment for All Act) is a landmark 2021 WASHINGTON STATE law creating a coordinated approach for state agencies to address ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE and HEALTH DISPARITIES, requiring them to integrate "EQUITABLE PRACTICES", reduce pollution burdens in vulnerable communities, ensure tribal consultation, and use tools like the "Environmental Health Disparities Map" to guide policies and investments for a healthier environment for all Washingtonians
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IN OCTOBER 2022, a substantial Washington state Department of Health (DOH) created & issued an advance-budget request to obtain future agency funding {titled “Encouraging Food Entrepreneurship". This fund request, to establish a entirely-new program within the DOH, was prepared and issued by DOH and then submitted to the Governor's office and the state's Office of Financial Management
The budget request asked for (then) future DOH funding to implement a new "EP" that would begin during the state's 2023-2025 biennium-budget period. The information on this page is a deep-dive into the HEAL ACT and its impact on the existing Cottage Food program's future. CF is now a 15 year old industry overseen by the Washington Department of Agriculture as a hybrid food processing business model.