Bill Text: TX HB3290 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to creating a farm to school community connections pilot program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-15 - Left pending in committee [HB3290 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB3290-Introduced.html

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84R12241 AJZ-D
By: Rodriguez of Travis H.B. No. 3290

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to creating a farm to school community connections pilot
program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by
adding Section 12.0415 to read as follows:
Sec. 12.0415. FARM TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PILOT
PROGRAM. (a) Subject to available funding, the department shall
develop and implement a pilot program through which the department
will award $5 million in grant funding to school districts to
promote awareness of and increase access to fresh produce by
students in those school districts. The department may award a
school district $0.15 per school lunch served by the school
district that uses fresh, unprocessed, or minimally processed
ingredients purchased directly from the local farms that produce
the ingredients. The department may grant an additional allowance
to a school district to offset the costs of delivery support for
these ingredients. The total amount awarded to a school district
under this section may not exceed $500,000 each school year.
(b) A grant recipient may use grant money awarded under the
pilot program only to cover costs that are approved by the
department, which may include costs related to food purchases,
educational programs, vegetable samples provided to students,
field trips to local farms, and school gardens.
(c) Not later than December 1, 2016, the department shall
submit an initial report to the legislature that includes:
(1) an evaluation of the performance and the operation
of the program; and
(2) recommendations on the continuation, elimination,
or expansion of the program.
(d) This section expires September 1, 2017.
SECTION 2. If funding is available, not later than January
1, 2016, the Department of Agriculture shall implement the farm to
school community connections pilot program established under
Section 12.0415, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. 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, 2015.