Senate Bill sb2096c1

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    Florida Senate - 2004                           CS for SB 2096

    By the Committee on Education; and Senators Wise and Bullard





    304-2308-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to providing nutrition to

  3         children; providing a short title; requiring

  4         the Food and Nutrition Management Office of the

  5         Department of Education to develop a plan for

  6         providing, in each school district, summer food

  7         programs that serve children who qualify for

  8         free or reduced-price lunches during the school

  9         year; providing procedures for exemptions;

10         providing requirements of the department and of

11         the superintendent of schools; requiring the

12         school districts to report to the department

13         annually; providing an effective date.

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Children's Summer Nutrition Act.--

18         (1)  This section may be cited as the "Children's

19  Summer Nutrition Act."

20         (2)  The Food and Nutrition Management Office of the

21  Department of Education shall develop a plan to ensure that,

22  by the summer of 2005, at least one summer food program shall

23  operate in each school district for at least 40 days during

24  the summer months within 5 miles of an elementary school at

25  which 50 percent or more of the students are eligible for free

26  or reduced-price school meals. The department shall designate

27  a person on its administrative staff who shall coordinate

28  activities to implement this subsection.

29         (3)(a)  If a school board requests an exemption from

30  operating a summer nutrition program annually, it shall

31  conduct a discussion on whether to continue the exemption. The

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    Florida Senate - 2004                           CS for SB 2096
    304-2308-04




 1  pending discussion shall be included on the agenda at a

 2  regular or special school board meeting publicly noticed, and

 3  citizens shall be provided an opportunity to participate in

 4  the discussion. The school board shall send a copy of the

 5  notice to the Commissioner of Education at least 10 days prior

 6  to the meeting and shall send a copy of the agenda and minutes

 7  to the commissioner following the meeting. Following the

 8  discussion, the school board shall vote on whether to continue

 9  the exemption for 1 additional year.

10         (b)  On or before March 1, of the year in which an

11  exemption under this section is due to expire, the

12  commissioner shall notify the school board in writing that the

13  exemption will expire.

14         (4)  The department shall use the October school

15  indicator report on eligibility for free or reduced-price

16  school meals to determine which elementary schools in each

17  school district meet the criteria set forth in subsections (2)

18  and (3). The department shall provide such information to each

19  superintendent of schools by November 30 of each year.

20         (5)  The superintendent of schools in each school

21  district shall implement the plan to ensure access to the

22  Summer Food Service Program. The superintendents of schools

23  may collaborate with municipal and county government and

24  private, nonprofit leaders in development of the plan.

25  Although schools have proven to be the optimal sites for a

26  summer food program, any nonprofit organization may serve as a

27  site or sponsor. By May 15 of each year, each school district

28  shall report to the department the district's summer food

29  sites in compliance with this act.

30         (6)  The department shall provide to each school

31  district by February 15 of each year a list of local

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    Florida Senate - 2004                           CS for SB 2096
    304-2308-04




 1  organizations that have filed letters of intent to

 2  participate, so that the school districts can determine

 3  adequate coverage of need and placement of sites.

 4         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

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 6          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 7                             SB 2096

 8                                 

 9  Provides procedures for school boards that request an
    exemption from operating a summer food program and for written
10  notice by the Commissioner of Education to school boards on
    the expiration of the exemption. Allows school superintendents
11  to collaborate with others in developing a plan.

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