| 1 | 1 | | 81R9087 BEF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1089 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to farm-to-school initiatives. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | adding Sections 12.048 and 12.049 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 12.048. FARM-TO-SCHOOL COORDINATING TASK FORCE. (a) In |
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| 12 | 12 | | this section, "task force" means the farm-to-school coordinating |
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| 13 | 13 | | task force. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) The task force consists of members appointed by the |
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| 15 | 15 | | commissioner, including representatives of: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) the department; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) the Texas Education Agency; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (3) the Department of State Health Services; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (4) farm organizations; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (5) general academic teaching institutions, as |
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| 21 | 21 | | defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (6) other relevant public and nonprofit entities. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) The commissioner shall designate a member who |
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| 24 | 24 | | represents the department to be the chair of the task force. Members |
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| 25 | 25 | | serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) The task force shall: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) develop a multipartner approach to farm-to-school |
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| 28 | 28 | | initiatives in this state; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) design nutrition and food education resources to |
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| 30 | 30 | | educate students about family farms, local agriculture, and |
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| 31 | 31 | | sustainable food systems with a strong focus on fresh, locally |
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| 32 | 32 | | produced fruits and vegetables; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) create useful and practical farm-to-school |
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| 34 | 34 | | resources for teachers that are easily incorporated into core |
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| 35 | 35 | | curriculum classes and are tied to current curriculum requirements; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (4) expand food-focused experiential education |
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| 37 | 37 | | efforts; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (5) develop a database of available local products for |
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| 39 | 39 | | school food service agencies, including contact and purchasing |
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| 40 | 40 | | information; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (6) advise the department on the development and |
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| 42 | 42 | | administration of the grant programs under Section 12.049. |
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| 43 | 43 | | Sec. 12.049. FARM-TO-SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAMS. (a) Subject to |
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| 44 | 44 | | available funding, the department shall develop and administer |
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| 45 | 45 | | grant programs for school districts to: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) purchase locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables, |
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| 47 | 47 | | and other foods for school lunch and breakfast programs; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) create and maintain school gardens and conduct |
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| 49 | 49 | | extension education activities including farm field trips; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (3) offer support for farm-to-school programs. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (b) The department shall adopt rules for the grant programs, |
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| 52 | 52 | | including criteria for selecting grant recipients. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable on or after the effective |
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| 54 | 54 | | date of this Act, the commissioner of agriculture shall appoint the |
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| 55 | 55 | | initial members of the farm-to-school coordinating task force under |
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| 56 | 56 | | Section 12.048, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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