Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2214 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R14760 MEW-D
2	2	By: Lucio S.B. No. 2214
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation of a nutrition education task force.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. The legislature finds that:
10	10	(1) providing nutrition education in public schools is
11	11	an important means to improve the health and extend the lives of
12	12	inhabitants of this state;
13	13	(2) poor eating habits and lack of physical activity
14	14	increase the likelihood of poor educational outcomes, which has a
15	15	direct impact on the future of this state;
16	16	(3) nutrition education is offered in most public
17	17	schools traditionally as part of the curriculum for health classes,
18	18	but the proportion of student participation at each grade level is
19	19	unknown;
20	20	(4) nutrition education offered in public schools can
21	21	be improved and further coordinated:
22	22	(A) across different subject areas in the
23	23	existing curriculum for all grade levels; and
24	24	(B) through school meal programs;
25	25	(5) this state and students enrolled in public schools
26	26	in this state would greatly benefit if this state became an
27	27	innovative leader in nutrition education;
28	28	(6) improving the health of the inhabitants of this
29	29	state would reduce the consequences of poor nutrition, including
30	30	associated illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and related social
31	31	anxiety mental illnesses; and
32	32	(7) to address illnesses associated with poor
33	33	nutrition, this state should focus on increasing awareness of
34	34	nutrition in public schools.
35	35	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
36	36	amended by adding Section 28.0046 to read as follows:
37	37	Sec. 28.0046. NUTRITION EDUCATION TASK FORCE. (a) The
38	38	nutrition education task force is established to develop policy
39	39	recommendations regarding nutrition education in public schools,
40	40	including measures for:
41	41	(1) increasing awareness of students in kindergarten
42	42	through 12th grade regarding good nutrition;
43	43	(2) assisting students in developing healthy eating
44	44	habits; and
45	45	(3) addressing illnesses developed from poor
46	46	nutrition, including obesity and diabetes.
47	47	(b) The task force is composed of:
48	48	(1) the commissioner of education or the
49	49	commissioner's designee;
50	50	(2) the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
51	51	Services Commission or the executive commissioner's designee;
52	52	(3) the commissioner of agriculture or the
53	53	commissioner's designee;
54	54	(4) experts in nutrition appointed jointly by the
55	55	commissioner of education, the executive commissioner of the Health
56	56	and Human Services Commission, and the commissioner of agriculture;
57	57	and
58	58	(5) any other health or education experts appointed
59	59	jointly as determined appropriate by the commissioner of education,
60	60	the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services
61	61	Commission, and the commissioner of agriculture.
62	62	(c) The commissioner of education, or the commissioner's
63	63	designee, shall serve as the presiding officer of the task force.
64	64	(d) A member of the task force may not receive compensation
65	65	for serving on the task force.
66	66	(e) The task force must:
67	67	(1) identify and study the development of an
68	68	age-appropriate curriculum for nutrition education in public
69	69	schools that:
70	70	(A) increases student knowledge of appropriate
71	71	nutrition; and
72	72	(B) provides proven strategies that influence
73	73	student motivation, including strategies that:
74	74	(i) teach positive nutrition skills;
75	75	(ii) encourage healthy eating behaviors;
76	76	(iii) mitigate unhealthy attitudes; and
77	77	(iv) provide students the necessary tools
78	78	to accomplish nutritional goals;
79	79	(2) assess existing nutrition education curriculum,
80	80	resources, and initiatives in public schools that address illnesses
81	81	caused by poor nutrition, including obesity and diabetes;
82	82	(3) develop recommendations, initiatives, and reforms
83	83	that can be implemented to improve the success of nutrition
84	84	education, resources, and materials designed to assist teachers in
85	85	preparing nutrition education lessons;
86	86	(4) work with appropriate state and federal officials
87	87	to develop reforms that:
88	88	(A) increase the effectiveness of public school
89	89	meal programs; and
90	90	(B) encourage an active role in nutrition
91	91	education, including providing:
92	92	(i) nutrient information for school meals;
93	93	(ii) nutrition education in the classroom;
94	94	and
95	95	(iii) other educational activities,
96	96	primarily in kindergarten through fifth grade, to increase
97	97	awareness of nutrition benefits;
98	98	(5) develop recommendations relating to increasing
99	99	the effectiveness of nutrition coordinators, including:
100	100	(A) reporting information regarding:
101	101	(i) the number of schools that have a
102	102	nutrition coordinator; and
103	103	(ii) the role of the nutrition coordinator
104	104	in integrating a nutrition curriculum;
105	105	(B) developing requirements for placing a
106	106	nutrition coordinator on each public school campus;
107	107	(C) coordinating a nutrition curriculum that
108	108	provides a coherent sequence of nutrition lessons for kindergarten
109	109	through 12th grade; and
110	110	(D) integrating nutrition lessons:
111	111	(i) across different subject areas at the
112	112	same grade level; and
113	113	(ii) in the classroom with related
114	114	nonclassroom activities; and
115	115	(6) in the report required under Subsection (h), make
116	116	specific recommendations for legislative and other actions,
117	117	including budget-related recommendations regarding policy
118	118	initiatives and reforms necessary to implement and increase
119	119	nutrition education, awareness, and resources in public schools in
120	120	kindergarten through 12th grade.
121	121	(f) State agencies shall cooperate with the task force as
122	122	necessary.
123	123	(g) The task force shall meet not less than once each month.
124	124	The task force may meet by telephone conference call,
125	125	videoconference, or any similar telecommunication method.
126	126	(h) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
127	127	the task force shall prepare a report on the task force's
128	128	recommendations and provide the report in writing or electronically
129	129	to the governor and members of the legislature.
130	130	(i) At least every three years, the agency, the Health and
131	131	Human Services Commission, and the Department of Agriculture shall
132	132	review and, if necessary, revise any rules, recommendations, and
133	133	policies implemented based on the recommendations of the task
134	134	force.
135	135	SECTION 3. Not later than March 1, 2020, the Nutrition
136	136	Education Task Force established under Section 28.0046, Education
137	137	Code, as added by this Act, shall develop and submit to the Texas
138	138	Education Agency, the Health and Human Services Commission, and the
139	139	Department of Agriculture recommendations for implementation
140	140	during the 2020-2021 school year.
141	141	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
142	142	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
143	143	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
144	144	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
145	145	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.