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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of an interagency farm-to-school |
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coordination task force. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by |
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adding Section 12.0026 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.0026. INTERAGENCY FARM-TO-SCHOOL COORDINATION TASK |
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FORCE. (a) To promote a healthy diet for schoolchildren and the |
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business of small to mid-sized local farms and ranches, the |
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interagency farm-to-school coordination task force shall develop a |
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plan to facilitate the availability of locally grown food products |
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in public schools. |
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(b) The task force is composed of: |
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(1) a representative of: |
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(A) the department, appointed by the |
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commissioner; |
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(B) the Texas Education Agency, appointed by the |
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commissioner of education; and |
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(C) the Department of State Health Services, |
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appointed by the commissioner of that department; and |
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(2) at least one representative of each of the |
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following groups, appointed by the commissioner: |
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(A) fruit and vegetable producer organizations; |
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(B) school food service organizations; |
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(C) food distribution businesses; |
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(D) child nutrition and advocacy organizations; |
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(E) parent organizations; |
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(F) educational institutions that conduct |
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research in the areas of agriculture and nutrition; and |
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(G) health nutrition educators who serve school |
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districts. |
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(c) A member of the task force serves at the will of the |
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official who appointed the member. |
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(d) The representative of the department serves as |
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presiding officer. The task force may elect other necessary |
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officers from its members. |
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(e) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding |
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officer. |
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(f) The agency whose commissioner appoints a member is |
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responsible for the expenses of a member's service on the task |
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force. A member of the task force is not entitled to additional |
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compensation for serving on the task force. |
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(g) Each appropriate agency or group represented on the task |
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force shall provide the personnel and resources necessary to |
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implement a task force measure under this section. |
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(h) Subject to available funding, the task force shall: |
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(1) design education resources on nutrition and food |
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education to be used by schools and school districts; |
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(2) expand food-focused experiential education |
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programs; |
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(3) create a grant program funded by the department |
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that allows schools and school districts to recover the costs |
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associated with purchasing locally grown food products; |
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(4) develop a database of available locally grown food |
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products for use by school food service agencies that includes |
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contact and purchasing information for the products; |
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(5) design and implement training programs to enable |
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local farmers and ranchers to market their products to schools and |
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school districts, including programs related to: |
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(A) crop production; |
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(B) marketing of crops; |
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(C) postharvest handling of crops; |
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(D) food safety; |
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(E) business management; |
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(F) liability and risk management; and |
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(G) other topics deemed appropriate by the task |
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force; |
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(6) advise schools and school districts on methods by |
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which a school or school district may improve its facilities to |
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allow for the use of minimally processed, fresh, and locally |
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produced foods in school meals; |
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(7) provide technical assistance to school food |
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service agencies to establish procedures, recipes, menu rotations, |
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and other internal processes that accommodate the use of locally |
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grown foods in public schools; |
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(8) offer advanced skills development training to |
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school food service employees regarding the proper methods of |
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handling, preparing, and serving locally grown foods; and |
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(9) conduct any other activity considered by the task |
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force as necessary to achieve its goals under this section. |
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(i) The task force may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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donations from public and private entities to use for the purposes |
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of this section. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2009, the |
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Department of Agriculture shall establish the interagency |
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farm-to-school coordination task force as required by Section |
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12.0026, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Not later than February 1, 2010, the commissioners of |
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the Department of Agriculture, the Texas Education Agency, and the |
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Department of State Health Services shall appoint members of the |
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interagency farm-to-school coordination task force, as required by |
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Section 12.0026, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |