Florida Senate - 2009                              CS for SB 254
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senators Siplin
       and Sobel
       
       
       
       581-03498-09                                           2009254c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to school food service programs;
    3         amending s. 1006.06, F.S.; creating the Florida Farm
    4         Fresh Schools Program within the Department of
    5         Education; providing legislative intent; requiring the
    6         department to work with the Department of Agriculture
    7         and Consumer Services to recommend policies and rules
    8         to the State Board of Education relating to school
    9         food services which encourage schools and school
   10         districts in this state to buy fresh and local food;
   11         requiring the Department of Education, in
   12         collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and
   13         Consumer Services, to provide outreach services
   14         regarding the benefits of fresh food products from
   15         this state; requiring the program to maintain
   16         compliance with the rules and regulations of the
   17         National School Lunch Program; providing an effective
   18         date.
   19  
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Subsection (6) is added to section 1006.06,
   23  Florida Statutes, to read:
   24         1006.06 School food service programs.—
   25         (6) The Legislature, recognizing that school children need
   26  nutritious food not only for healthy physical and intellectual
   27  development, but also to combat diseases related to poor
   28  nutrition and obesity, establishes the Florida Farm Fresh
   29  Schools Program within the Department of Education as the lead
   30  agency for the program. The program shall:
   31         (a) Require the department to work with the Department of
   32  Agriculture and Consumer Services to recommend policies and
   33  rules to the State Board of Education pertaining to school food
   34  services which:
   35         1. Encourage the patronization of products from farmers in
   36  this state by requiring school districts and schools to buy
   37  fresh and high-quality foods grown in this state when feasible;
   38         2. Encourage and solicit farmers in this state to sell
   39  their products to school districts and schools in this state;
   40         3. Require school districts and schools to make reasonable
   41  efforts to select foods based on a preference for those that
   42  have maximum nutritional content; and
   43         4. Encourage school districts and schools to demonstrate a
   44  preference for competitively priced organic food products.
   45         (b) Require the Department of Education, in collaboration
   46  with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to
   47  provide outreach, guidance, and training to districts, schools,
   48  school food service directors, parent and teacher organizations,
   49  and students about the benefits of fresh food products from
   50  farms in this state.
   51         (c) Maintain compliance with the rules and regulations of
   52  the National School Lunch Program.
   53         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.