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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the eligibility of a school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school to receive a grant from the Department of |
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Agriculture to provide surplus agricultural products to certain |
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students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.001, Agriculture Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.001. CREATION. The department by rule shall |
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develop a program to award grants to: |
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(1) nonprofit organizations for the purpose of |
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collecting and distributing surplus agricultural products to food |
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banks and other charitable organizations that serve needy or |
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low-income individuals; and |
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(2) public schools for the purpose of collecting and |
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distributing surplus agricultural products to educationally |
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disadvantaged students. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.002, Agriculture Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.002. ELIGIBILITY. (a) For the purposes of this |
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chapter: |
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(1) "Educationally disadvantaged" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 5.001, Education Code. |
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(2) "Public school" means a school district or an |
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open-enrollment charter school established under Subchapter D, |
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Chapter 12, Education Code. |
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(b) Subject to available funds: |
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(1) [,] a nonprofit organization is eligible to |
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receive a grant under this chapter if the organization: |
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(A) [(1)] has at least five years of experience |
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coordinating a statewide network of food banks and charitable |
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organizations that serve each county of this state; |
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(B) [(2)] operates a program that coordinates |
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the collection and transportation of surplus agricultural products |
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to a statewide network of food banks that provide food to needy or |
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low-income individuals; and |
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(C) [(3)] submits to the department, in the |
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manner and time prescribed by the department, a proposal for the |
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collection and distribution to food banks or other charitable |
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organizations for use in providing food to needy or low-income |
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individuals of surplus agricultural products, including: |
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(i) [(A)] a description of the proposal; |
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(ii) [(B)] a schedule of projected costs |
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for the proposal; |
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(iii) [(C)] measurable goals for the |
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proposal; and |
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(iv) [(D)] a plan for evaluating the |
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success of the proposal; and |
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(2) a public school is eligible to receive a grant |
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under this chapter if the school submits to the department, in the |
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manner and time prescribed by the department, a proposal for the |
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collection and distribution of surplus agricultural products to |
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educationally disadvantaged students that includes the information |
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required to be provided under Subdivisions (1)(C)(i)-(iv). |
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SECTION 3. Section 21.003, Agriculture Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.003. REPORT. A nonprofit organization or public |
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school that receives a grant under this chapter must report the |
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results of the project to the department in the manner prescribed by |
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the department. |
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SECTION 4. Section 33.907, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) In this section: |
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(1) "Donate" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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76.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. |
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(2) "Educationally disadvantaged" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 5.001. |
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(3) "Nonprofit organization" has the meaning assigned |
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by Section 76.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. |
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(e-1) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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may: |
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(1) adopt a policy allowing a campus in the district or |
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school to collect surplus agricultural products that are eligible |
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for donation under Subsection (b) and donate the products to the |
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families of educationally disadvantaged students enrolled at the |
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campus; and |
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(2) apply to receive a grant under the grant program |
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established under Chapter 21, Agriculture Code, for a campus that |
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makes the election under Subdivision (1). |
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SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 6. 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, 2023. |