Bill Text: CA AB2535 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Department of Parks and Recreation: grants: playgrounds and play structures: disability access.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-08-11 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2535 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB2535-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 24, 2022 |
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 17, 2022 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia |
February 17, 2022 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Existing law creates the Office of Farm to Fork within the Department of Food and Agriculture, which is under the control of the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, and requires the office, to the extent that resources are available, to work with various entities, including, among others, the agricultural industry and other organizations involved in promoting food access, to increase the amount of agricultural products available to underserved communities and schools in the state.
This bill would establish the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program, which would be administered by the office, for the purpose of awarding grants to eligible entities in order
to support projects that cultivate equity, nurture pupils, build climate resilience, and create scalable and sustainable change. The bill would require the program to offer 4 funding tracks to award grants: Track 1 - The California Farm to School Innovation Grant, Track 2 - The California Regional Partnerships Grant, Track 3 - The California Farm to Early Care and Education Grant, and Track 4 - The California Farm to School Producer Grant. The bill would require, under Track 1, the office to award grants ranging from $20,000 to $500,000 per project to local educational agencies, as defined, throughout the state for projects that focus on establishing new or expanding existing integrated farm to school programs, as specified. The bill would require, under Track 2, the office to award grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 per project to partnerships of eligible entities to expand existing farm to school initiatives and increase collaboration and coordination between producers and schools and to provide
funding for infrastructure, transportation, coordination, and planning. The bill would also authorize the office to develop initiatives and use program funding for specified purposes relating to farm to school programs.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 5788.18 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:5788.18.
To the extent not in conflict with the terms of an existing park grant program or applicable bond act, or the requirements of any other funding source, the department, or any other state agency, shall not award any park grant funds to a recreation and park district with a playground or play structure, unless the playground or play structure has disability access.For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
(a)“Farm to school partners” means food producers, producer networks or associations, farmer or rancher cooperatives, majority controlled producer-based business ventures, food councils, local or tribal governments, nonprofit corporations, economic development corporations, public benefit corporations, community supported agriculture networks or associations, regional farmers’ market associations, county agencies or regional authorities, philanthropic organizations, institutions of higher education, or commercial, federal, or farm credit system lending institutions.
(b)“Food producers” includes people who produce food in a variety of
ways, such as farmers, ranchers, and fishers, and people using indigenous agricultural practices.
(c)“Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
(d)“Office” means the Office of Farm to Fork in the department.
(e)“Program” means the Farm to School Incubator Grant Program.
(a)The Farm to School Incubator Grant Program is hereby established for the purpose of awarding grants to eligible entities in order to support projects that cultivate equity, nurture pupils, build climate resilience, and create scalable and sustainable change.
(b)The program shall be administered by the Office of Farm to Fork in the department.
(c)The program shall offer the following four funding tracks to award grants:
(1)Track 1 - The California Farm to School Innovation Grant.
(2)Track 2 - The California Regional Partnerships Grant.
(3)Track 3 - The California Farm to Early Care and Education Grant.
(4)Track 4 - The California Farm to School Producer Grant.
(d)Applicants shall be limited to one application for each funding track.
(a)Under Track 1 - The California Farm to School Innovation Grant, the office shall award grants ranging from twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) per project to local educational agencies throughout the state. Projects shall be selected through a competitive process and shall focus on establishing new or expanding existing integrated farm to school programs that do both of the following:
(1)Procure California-grown or California-produced whole or minimally processed foods.
(2)Integrate the foods described in paragraph (1) into school meals and coordinate educational opportunities between the cafeteria, classroom, and community.
(b)Local educational agencies with preschool or special education programs are encouraged to include those programs in their projects.
(c)Local educational agencies within agricultural communities are encouraged to coordinate with local farmers and ranchers to learn about their regional specialty foods.
(a)Under Track 2 - The California Regional Partnerships Grant, the office shall award grants ranging from ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) per project to partnerships of eligible entities to expand existing farm to school initiatives and increase collaboration and coordination between producers and the schools they serve and to provide funding for infrastructure, transportation, coordination, and planning.
(b)Eligible entities for grants under this section shall be local educational agencies and farm to school partners.
(c)Partnerships of eligible entities shall include at least two local educational agencies and at least one
regional farm to school partner. Any of the entities in the partnership may serve as the lead applicant. The other entities shall provide letters of commitment as part of an application for a grant.
Under the program, the office may also develop initiatives and use program funding to do any of the following:
(a)Pilot local farm to school staff positions.
(b)Support school kitchen infrastructure funding.
(c)Increase school nutrition budgets and processing equipment for farms.
(d)Build regional farm to school hubs to support program grantees and school leaders at the local level with farm to school planning and implementation.
(e)Identify specific areas for philanthropic and private sector support,
focusing on food safety certifications, school kitchen infrastructure, tribal farm to school programs, low or no interest loan programs for producers and schools, or additional needs as they are identified.
(f)Strategically partner with community-based organizations, state agencies, local governments, and universities to coordinate regionally and support local farm to school planning and implementation.
(g)Invest in regional marketplace specialists.
(h)Establish equity and impact goals.
(i)Develop the farm to school workforce.
(j)Create online accessibility.
