S.B. No. 282

AN ACT

relating to grant and outreach programs to provide nutrition education to children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding Section 12.0027 to read as follows:

Sec. 12.0027. NUTRITION OUTREACH PROGRAM. (a) The department may develop an outreach program to promote better health and nutrition programs and prevent obesity among children in this state.

(b) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this section.

(c) The department may adopt rules as necessary to administer an outreach program established under this section.

SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 38.026 to read as follows:

Sec. 38.026. GRANT PROGRAM FOR BEST PRACTICES IN NUTRITION EDUCATION. (a) The Department of Agriculture shall develop a program under which the department awards grants to public school campuses for best practices in nutrition education.

(b) The Department of Agriculture may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this section.

(c) The Department of Agriculture may adopt rules as necessary to administer a grant program established under this section.

SECTION 3. Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, is amended by adding Section 33.028 to read as follows:

Sec. 33.028. GRANT PROGRAMS FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION. (a) The Department of Agriculture shall develop a program under which the department awards grants to:

(1) participants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, Head Start program, or other early childhood education programs to operate nutrition education programs for children who are at least three years of age but younger than five years of age; and

(2) community and faith-based initiatives that provide recreational, social, volunteer, leadership, mentoring, or developmental programs to incorporate nutrition education into programs provided for children younger than 19 years of age.

(b) The Department of Agriculture may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this section.

(c) The Department of Agriculture may adopt rules as necessary to administer the grant programs established under this section.

SECTION 4. (a) This Act does not make an appropriation. A provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program, creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the provision.

(b) It is the intent of the legislature that not more than $4 million may be appropriated for the implementation of this Act for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2009.

SECTION 5. 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, 2009.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 282 passed the Senate on April 21, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 1; and that the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 29, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 282 passed the House, with amendment, on May 25, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 0, one present not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

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Date

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Governor