Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H601 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 2
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2580 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 601
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Andres X. Vargas and Mindy Domb
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to promote food literacy.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Andres X. Vargas3rd Essex1/17/2023Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/19/2023Smitty Pignatelli3rd Berkshire1/26/2023Patricia A. Duffy5th Hampden1/26/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex1/26/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/26/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/27/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/27/2023Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin1/30/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex2/1/2023Michael P. Kushmerek3rd Worcester2/1/2023Paul A. Schmid, III8th Bristol2/1/2023Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex2/3/2023Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/3/2023Jon Santiago9th Suffolk2/6/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/7/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex2/7/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/7/2023 2 of 2
16	16	Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/7/2023Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk2/8/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester2/9/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/9/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/9/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/10/2023Brian M. Ashe2nd Hampden2/10/2023Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/13/2023Daniel R. Carey2nd Hampshire2/13/2023Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex2/14/2023Daniel Cahill10th Essex2/17/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/19/2023Walter F. TimiltyNorfolk, Plymouth and Bristol2/21/2023Carlos González10th Hampden3/1/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk3/9/2023Jessica Ann Giannino16th Suffolk3/13/2023 1 of 4
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2580 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 601
19	19	By Representatives Vargas of Haverhill and Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill,
20	20	House, No. 601) of Andres X. Vargas, Mindy Domb and others that the Department of
21	21	Elementary and Secondary Education be authorized to promote and facilitate food literacy
22	22	programs in school districts, charter schools, approved private day or residential schools, or
23	23	collaborative schools. Education.
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act to promote food literacy.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition,
33	33	2is hereby amended by inserting after section 35SSS the following section:
34	34	3 Section 35TTT. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth
35	35	4a separate fund to be known as the Food Literacy Trust Fund. The fund may receive money
36	36	5from: any appropriations authorized by the general court specifically designated to be credited to
37	37	6the fund; gifts, grants and donations from public or private sources; federal reimbursements and
38	38	7grants-in-aid; and any interest earned from the fund. Monies may be expended by the department
39	39	8of elementary and secondary education to encourage and facilitate food literacy programs in
40	40	9school districts, charter schools, approved private day or residential schools, or collaborative
41	41	10schools. 2 of 4
42	42	11 No expenditure from the fund shall cause the fund to be in deficiency at the close of the
43	43	12fiscal year. The fund shall be an expendable trust fund and shall not be subject to appropriation
44	44	13or allotment. The state treasurer shall be the custodian of the fund and shall receive, deposit and
45	45	14invest all money transmitted under this section to ensure the highest interest rate available
46	46	15consistent with the safety of the fund. The books and records of the fund shall be subject to an
47	47	16annual audit by the state auditor. The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall
48	48	17report annually to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee
49	49	18on education on income received into the fund and sources of that income, any expenditure from
50	50	19the fund and the purpose of that expenditure and the fund’s balance. Money in the fund at the
51	51	20end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure
52	52	21in the subsequent year and shall not be subject to section 5C of chapter 29.
53	53	22 SECTION 2. The third paragraph section 1D of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as so
54	54	23appearing, is hereby by amended, the words “consumer skills,” in line 38, by adding the
55	55	24following words:-
56	56	25 “food literacy,”
57	57	26 SECTION 3. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
58	58	27inserting after section 1T the following section:
59	59	28 Section 1U. (a) Food literacy standards established pursuant to section 1D shall promote
60	60	29an understanding of food systems including, but not limited to: (i) nutrition and the impact of
61	61	30diet on personal health; (ii) culinary skills and menu planning; (iii) food production, including
62	62	31farming, fishing, and processing; (iv) the connections between the food system and the
63	63	32environment; (v) hunger, its causes and efforts to alleviate it; (vi) racial and other inequities in 3 of 4
64	64	33access to food and jobs in the food system; (vii) food justice; (viii) cultural connections to food;
65	65	34and (ix) local food producers; and (x) careers in the food system including in the fields of
66	66	35farming, fishing, processing, engineering, transportation, public health, and hunger alleviation.
67	67	36 (b) A school district, charter school, approved private day or residential school or
68	68	37collaborative school may incorporate the food literacy standards established pursuant to section
69	69	381D and subsection (a) into existing curriculum including, but not limited to, mathematics,
70	70	39science, or history and social sciences.
71	71	40 (c) The department shall make resources, including high quality lessons and curricula,
72	72	41available to school districts, charter schools, approved private day or residential schools and
73	73	42collaborative schools to assist in the selection of materials and curriculum on food literacy. The
74	74	43department shall identify and offer information on resources for professional development
75	75	44activities and instruction on food literacy. The department may consult with private or non-profit
76	76	45experts in the fields of nutrition, agriculture, food systems, food security, or other related fields.
77	77	46 (d) The department may expend funds from the Food Literacy Trust Fund established
78	78	47pursuant to section 35TTT of chapter 10, to implement this section.
79	79	48 (e) There shall annually be a review by the department relative to the implementation of
80	80	49food literacy standards, including a study of food literacy programs offered in the commonwealth
81	81	50to students in kindergarten through grade 12. The commissioner shall consult with the office of
82	82	51the state treasurer to, subject to appropriation, convene a working group consisting of educators
83	83	52experienced in teaching curriculum related to food literacy and any individuals or organizations
84	84	53the department deems relevant with expertise in food systems, including, but not limited to,
85	85	54nutrition, farming, fishing, culinary arts, food justice and food career opportunities. The review 4 of 4
86	86	55shall include a report on best practices and recommended improvements to food literacy
87	87	56standards. The report shall be submitted to the clerks of the house of representatives and the
88	88	57senate and the joint committee on education.