SLS 25RS-360 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 180
BY SENATOR BARROW
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Provides for a pioneering STEM technology program
known as "Farm-Ed". (8/1/25)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:185.6 and to enact R.S. 17:185.7, relative to agricultural
3 education; to provide for the creation of the Farm-Ed pilot program; to provide
4 relative to funding and effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 17:185.6 is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 17:185.7 is
7 hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §185.6. Effectiveness
9 The agricultural education immersion pilot program and Farm-Ed pilot
10 program established pursuant to this Subpart shall be implemented as expeditiously
11 as possible through any source of funding made available for this purpose.
12 §185.7. Farm-Ed Program; pilot
13 A. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in
14 collaboration with the state Department of Education, shall assist with creating
15 a pilot program known as Farm-Ed, to provide for the integration of controlled
16 environment grow chambers and corresponding curriculum in kindergarten
17 through twelfth grade classrooms.
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 180
SLS 25RS-360 ORIGINAL
1 B. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the
2 state Department of Education shall adopt rules and regulations for the
3 administration of the program which shall, at a minimum, provide for the
4 following:
5 (1) Determination of participating schools.
6 (2) Allocation of funds from funds appropriated or otherwise made
7 available for the program.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SB 180 Original 2025 Regular Session Barrow
Present law (R.S. 17:185.6) provides that implementation of the agricultural education
immersion pilot program must be implemented as expeditiously as possible through any
source of funding made available for that purpose.
Proposed law retains present law and further provides that implementation of the Farm-Ed
pilot program will also be implemented as expeditiously as possible through any source of
funding made available for that purpose.
Proposed law (R.S. 17:185.7) requires BESE to assist with creating a pilot program to
provide for the establishment of the Farm-Ed program which provides kindergarten through
12th grade classrooms with controlled environment grow chambers and corresponding
curriculum.
Effective August 1, 2025.
(Amends R.S. 17:185.6; adds R.S. 17:185.7)
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.