Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3968 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R10941 RDR-D
2	2	By: Plesa H.B. No. 3968
3	3
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5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the School Meals Council to study
10	10	and make recommendations regarding public school meal programs.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Title 2, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
13	13	Chapter 24 to read as follows:
14	14	CHAPTER 24. SCHOOL MEALS COUNCIL
15	15	Sec. 24.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
16	16	(1) "Council" means the School Meals Council
17	17	established under this chapter.
18	18	(2) "Public school meal program" means a program to
19	19	provide free or reduced-price meals, including breakfast and lunch,
20	20	to students in public schools. The term includes the national
21	21	school breakfast program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
22	22	U.S.C. Section 1773), the national school lunch program of free or
23	23	reduced-price lunches under 42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq., and a
24	24	locally funded program to provide free or reduced-price meals to
25	25	each eligible student.
26	26	Sec. 24.002. ESTABLISHMENT. The School Meals Council is
27	27	established to study issues regarding public school meal programs
28	28	and make recommendations to address those issues.
29	29	Sec. 24.003. COMPOSITION. (a) The council is composed of
30	30	the following 13 members, who must have an interest in public school
31	31	meal programs:
32	32	(1) five members appointed by the governor as follows:
33	33	(A) one representative of the Texas Education
34	34	Agency whose duties include public school meal programs and school
35	35	meals paid for by students;
36	36	(B) one representative of the department;
37	37	(C) one representative of the Health and Human
38	38	Services Commission;
39	39	(D) one representative who participates in an
40	40	initiative by the governor focusing on healthy student outcomes;
41	41	and
42	42	(E) one representative of a nonprofit
43	43	organization with a demonstrated history of facilitating public
44	44	school meal programs;
45	45	(2) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor
46	46	as follows:
47	47	(A) one representative who is a school district
48	48	employee and who oversees the district's food and nutrition
49	49	programs and has experience coordinating with a local school health
50	50	advisory council;
51	51	(B) one representative of a supplier, grocery
52	52	chain, or other organization that contributes to public school
53	53	meals;
54	54	(C) one representative of the Texas A&M AgriLife
55	55	Extension Service; and
56	56	(D) one mental health professional specializing
57	57	in children's health; and
58	58	(3) four members appointed by the speaker of the house
59	59	of representatives who must be representatives of food banks
60	60	serving different populations across this state.
61	61	(b) In making appointments under Subsections (a)(1), (2),
62	62	and (3), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the
63	63	house of representatives shall coordinate to ensure that the
64	64	membership of the council reflects, to the extent possible, the
65	65	ethnic and geographic diversity of this state.
66	66	Sec. 24.004. TERMS; VACANCY. (a) A member of the council
67	67	serves a two-year term.
68	68	(b) A member of the council may be reappointed to another
69	69	term on the council.
70	70	(c) A vacancy on the council shall be filled in the same
71	71	manner as the original appointment. The appropriate appointing
72	72	authority shall appoint the successor not later than the 30th day
73	73	after the date the vacancy occurs.
74	74	Sec. 24.005. COUNCIL OFFICERS; COMMITTEES. (a) The
75	75	council members shall elect a chair and vice chair from among the
76	76	council's members to serve a two-year term.
77	77	(b) The chair may appoint subcommittees and advisory
78	78	committees to assist with the council's duties.
79	79	Sec. 24.006. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)
80	80	The council shall convene at least once every quarter. The council
81	81	may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill the council's duties
82	82	under this chapter. The council shall ensure that meetings are held
83	83	in locations across this state to allow maximum participation by
84	84	stakeholders and the opportunity for public feedback.
85	85	(b) The council shall convene at the call of the chair or, if
86	86	the chair is unable to call a meeting or does not call at least one
87	87	meeting to meet the requirements of Subsection (a), at the call of
88	88	the vice chair.
89	89	(c) The council shall:
90	90	(1) post the agenda for each council meeting on the
91	91	council's Internet website at least 48 hours before the meeting;
92	92	and
93	93	(2) not later than the 14th day after the date of each
94	94	meeting, post on the council's Internet website the minutes or
95	95	recording of the meeting required under Section 551.021, Government
96	96	Code.
97	97	(d) The council is subject to Chapters 551 and 552,
98	98	Government Code. As an exception to Chapter 551, Government Code,
99	99	and other law, the council may meet by use of video conference call.
100	100	This subsection applies for purposes of constituting a quorum, for
101	101	purposes of voting, and for any other purpose allowing a member of
102	102	the council to fully participate in any meeting of the council. A
103	103	meeting held by use of video conference call:
104	104	(1) must be open to the public, which includes a video
105	105	broadcast of the meeting in real time through the council's
106	106	Internet website;
107	107	(2) must specify in the meeting notice the link to the
108	108	video broadcast described by Subdivision (1); and
109	109	(3) must provide two-way video communication between
110	110	all council members attending the meeting.
111	111	Sec. 24.007. COMPENSATION. A member of the council is not
112	112	entitled to compensation for service on the council but is entitled
113	113	to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
114	114	performing council duties.
115	115	Sec. 24.008. COUNCIL PERSONNEL. The council may hire one
116	116	part-time employee to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
117	117	Sec. 24.009. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING. (a)
118	118	Staff members of the department shall provide administrative
119	119	support for the council.
120	120	(b) Funding for the administrative, staffing, and
121	121	operational expenses of the council shall be provided by
122	122	appropriation to the department for that purpose.
123	123	Sec. 24.010. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The council shall:
124	124	(1) research, study, and monitor issues related to
125	125	public school meal programs, including:
126	126	(A) participation rates for public school meal
127	127	programs;
128	128	(B) nutritional quality of public school meals;
129	129	(C) current research and best practices related
130	130	to addressing food insecurity, including patterns identified in
131	131	this state regarding food insecurity;
132	132	(D) the health and academic success of students
133	133	who participate in public school meal programs and any correlation
134	134	with increased or decreased funding requirements or other impacts
135	135	on public schools, including ad valorem taxes; and
136	136	(E) the impact of public school meal programs on:
137	137	(i) maternal morbidity and mortality; and
138	138	(ii) workforce health and productivity;
139	139	(2) analyze methods to maximize the use of state and
140	140	federal funding to expand school meal opportunities for public
141	141	school students;
142	142	(3) develop efficient processes to identify, apply
143	143	for, and allocate available federal funding to support public
144	144	school meal programs;
145	145	(4) analyze mechanisms to ensure compliance with
146	146	federal guidelines and timelines for funding for public school meal
147	147	programs to prevent missing funding opportunities for those
148	148	programs;
149	149	(5) identify financial, logistical, and
150	150	administrative barriers to implementing school meals for all public
151	151	school students and develop strategies to address those barriers;
152	152	(6) analyze the current oversight and implementation
153	153	strategy for public school meal programs to identify possible
154	154	methods to consolidate those responsibilities into a single state
155	155	agency;
156	156	(7) research other matters concerning public school
157	157	meal programs as necessary; and
158	158	(8) perform other duties consistent with this chapter.
159	159	(b) In carrying out the council's powers and duties under
160	160	this section, the council may request reports and other information
161	161	relating to public school meal programs from the department, the
162	162	Texas Education Agency, and any other state agency. The council may
163	163	also consult with a faculty member of an institution of higher
164	164	education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, who has
165	165	published scholarly research relating to public school meal
166	166	programs.
167	167	Sec. 24.011. ANNUAL REPORT. Not later than November 1 of
168	168	each year, the council shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant
169	169	governor, and each member of the legislature a report on the
170	170	council's findings under Section 24.010 and recommendations for
171	171	legislative or other action.
172	172	Sec. 24.012. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The department
173	173	may accept on behalf of the council a gift, grant, or donation from
174	174	any source to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
175	175	Sec. 24.013. COUNCIL ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION. The council is
176	176	abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2033.
177	177	SECTION 2. (a) Not later than the 30th day after the
178	178	effective date of this Act, the appropriate persons shall make the
179	179	appointments required by Section 24.003, Agriculture Code, as added
180	180	by this Act.
181	181	(b) Notwithstanding Section 24.011, Agriculture Code, as
182	182	added by this Act, the School Meals Council shall submit the initial
183	183	report required under that section not later than November 1, 2026.
184	184	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
185	185	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
186	186	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
187	187	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
188	188	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.