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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to creating a farm to school community connections pilot |
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program. |
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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 12.0415 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.0415. FARM TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PILOT |
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PROGRAM. (a) Subject to available funding, the department shall |
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develop and implement a pilot program through which the department |
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will award $5 million in grant funding to school districts to |
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promote awareness of and increase access to fresh produce by |
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students in those school districts. The department may award a |
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school district $0.15 per school lunch served by the school |
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district that uses fresh, unprocessed, or minimally processed |
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ingredients purchased directly from the local farms that produce |
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the ingredients. The department may grant an additional allowance |
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to a school district to offset the costs of delivery support for |
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these ingredients. The total amount awarded to a school district |
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under this section may not exceed $500,000 each school year. |
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(b) A grant recipient may use grant money awarded under the |
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pilot program only to cover costs that are approved by the |
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department, which may include costs related to food purchases, |
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educational programs, vegetable samples provided to students, |
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field trips to local farms, and school gardens. |
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(c) Not later than December 1, 2016, the department shall |
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submit an initial report to the legislature that includes: |
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(1) an evaluation of the performance and the operation |
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of the program; and |
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(2) recommendations on the continuation, elimination, |
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or expansion of the program. |
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(d) This section expires September 1, 2017. |
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SECTION 2. If funding is available, not later than January |
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1, 2016, the Department of Agriculture shall implement the farm to |
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school community connections pilot program established under |
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Section 12.0415, Agriculture Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |