Sen. Kaufman urges passage of bill barring covenants that keep grocery or pharmacy space vacant

Senator Kaufman urged the Senate to pass Engrossed House Bill 2,294, saying the bill prevents private restrictive covenants that would bar a grocery store or pharmacy from occupying property vacated by a prior food or pharmacy business.

"Food access is something that is vitally important to all of our members and all of our communities," Senator Kaufman said, arguing that closures of long-standing stores that also housed pharmacies can be devastating to neighborhoods and that the bill simply protects consumers.

Senator Dozier opposed the measure on grounds of local control, saying local jurisdictions already have tools to address such covenants and describing the bill as "an overreach of the state." Senator Conway and Senator Valdez described personal and district-level examples of stores that closed with little notice, calling the change a modest way to keep basic groceries and pharmacy access in underserved areas. Senator King said he would support the bill but urged further review of why stores close, pointing to retail theft and consolidation as underlying causes.

After brief procedural moves and the secretaryalling the roll, the chamber recorded 35 ayes and 14 nays; the presiding officer declared Engrossed House Bill 2,294 passed by a constitutional majority. The bill
s read on the floor aims to prohibit covenants that would limit consumer access to food and medicine by preventing a replacement grocery or pharmacy from occupying a vacated site.

The Senate did not amend the underlying local-authority language on the floor; Senator Kaufman said local governments may still adopt ordinances and many already have similar rules. The next procedural step is enrollment and the bill title being prepared as the title of the act.