By: Nelson S.B. No. 282

(In the Senate - Filed November 12, 2008; February 11, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 16, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 1; April 16, 2009, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 282 By: Patrick

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

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 sources 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. 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.

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