88R14270 PRL-D
By: Bernal H.B. No. 4746
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the eligibility of a school district or open-enrollment
charter school to receive a grant from the Department of
Agriculture to provide surplus agricultural products to certain
students.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 21.001, Agriculture Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 21.001. CREATION. The department by rule shall
develop a program to award grants to:
(1) nonprofit organizations for the purpose of
collecting and distributing surplus agricultural products to food
banks and other charitable organizations that serve needy or
low-income individuals; and
(2) public schools for the purpose of collecting and
distributing surplus agricultural products to educationally
disadvantaged students.
SECTION 2. Section 21.002, Agriculture Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 21.002. ELIGIBILITY. (a) For the purposes of this
chapter:
(1) "Educationally disadvantaged" has the meaning
assigned by Section 5.001, Education Code.
(2) "Public school" means a school district or an
open-enrollment charter school established under Subchapter D,
Chapter 12, Education Code.
(b) Subject to available funds:
(1) [,] a nonprofit organization is eligible to
receive a grant under this chapter if the organization:
(A) [(1)] has at least five years of experience
coordinating a statewide network of food banks and charitable
organizations that serve each county of this state;
(B) [(2)] operates a program that coordinates
the collection and transportation of surplus agricultural products
to a statewide network of food banks that provide food to needy or
low-income individuals; and
(C) [(3)] submits to the department, in the
manner and time prescribed by the department, a proposal for the
collection and distribution to food banks or other charitable
organizations for use in providing food to needy or low-income
individuals of surplus agricultural products, including:
(i) [(A)] a description of the proposal;
(ii) [(B)] a schedule of projected costs
for the proposal;
(iii) [(C)] measurable goals for the
proposal; and
(iv) [(D)] a plan for evaluating the
success of the proposal; and
(2) a public school is eligible to receive a grant
under this chapter if the school submits to the department, in the
manner and time prescribed by the department, a proposal for the
collection and distribution of surplus agricultural products to
educationally disadvantaged students that includes the information
required to be provided under Subdivisions (1)(C)(i)-(iv).
SECTION 3. Section 21.003, Agriculture Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 21.003. REPORT. A nonprofit organization or public
school that receives a grant under this chapter must report the
results of the project to the department in the manner prescribed by
the department.
SECTION 4. Section 33.907, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as
follows:
(a) In this section:
(1) "Donate" has the meaning assigned by Section
76.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
(2) "Educationally disadvantaged" has the meaning
assigned by Section 5.001.
(3) "Nonprofit organization" has the meaning assigned
by Section 76.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
(e-1) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
may:
(1) adopt a policy allowing a campus in the district or
school to collect surplus agricultural products that are eligible
for donation under Subsection (b) and donate the products to the
families of educationally disadvantaged students enrolled at the
campus; and
(2) apply to receive a grant under the grant program
established under Chapter 21, Agriculture Code, for a campus that
makes the election under Subdivision (1).
SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
school year.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2023.