1 | A bill to be entitled |
2 | An act relating to school food service and nutrition |
3 | programs; providing a short title; transferring the Food |
4 | and Nutrition Services Trust Fund in the Department of |
5 | Education to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer |
6 | Services; transferring and reassigning functions and |
7 | responsibilities, including records, personnel, property, |
8 | and unexpended balances of appropriations and other |
9 | resources for the administration of the school food |
10 | service and nutrition programs from the Department of |
11 | Education to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer |
12 | Services; creating s. 570.98, F.S.; requiring the |
13 | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to |
14 | conduct, supervise, and administer all school food service |
15 | and nutrition programs; requiring the department to |
16 | cooperate fully with the Federal Government; authorizing |
17 | the department to act as agent of, or contract with, the |
18 | Federal Government, other state agencies, or any county or |
19 | municipal government for the administration of the school |
20 | food service and nutrition programs; renumbering and |
21 | amending ss. 1006.06, 1006.0606, and 1010.77, F.S., |
22 | relating to school food service programs, the children's |
23 | summer nutrition program, and the Food and Nutrition |
24 | Services Trust Fund, respectively; conforming provisions |
25 | to changes made by the act; deleting obsolete provisions; |
26 | correcting a cross-reference; amending s. 1003.453, F.S.; |
27 | requiring each school district to send an updated copy of |
28 | its wellness policy and physical education policy to the |
29 | Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture |
30 | and Consumer Services; deleting obsolete provisions; |
31 | requiring certain information to be accessible from the |
32 | website of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer |
33 | Services; requiring the Department of Education, in |
34 | consultation with the Department of Agriculture and |
35 | Consumer Services, to develop and submit a request for a |
36 | waiver to the United States Department of Agriculture to |
37 | transfer administration of the school food service and |
38 | nutrition programs; requiring notification relating to the |
39 | outcome of the request for a waiver; providing for |
40 | contingent effect based upon federal approval of a request |
41 | for a waiver; providing effective dates. |
42 |
|
43 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
44 |
|
45 | Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Healthy Schools |
46 | for Healthy Lives Act." |
47 | Section 2. The Food and Nutrition Services Trust Fund, |
48 | FLAIR number 48-2-2315, in the Department of Education is |
49 | transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer |
50 | Services, FLAIR number 42-2-2315. |
51 | Section 3. All powers, duties, functions, records, |
52 | personnel, property, pending issues and existing contracts, |
53 | administrative authority, administrative rules, and unexpended |
54 | balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds for the |
55 | administration of the school food service and nutrition programs |
56 | are transferred by a type two transfer, as defined in s. |
57 | 20.06(2), Florida Statutes, from the Department of Education to |
58 | the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. |
59 | Section 4. Section 570.98, Florida Statutes, is created to |
60 | read: |
61 | 570.98 School food service and nutrition programs.- |
62 | (1) The department shall conduct, supervise, and |
63 | administer all school food service and nutrition programs that |
64 | are carried out using federal funds, state funds, or funds from |
65 | any other source. |
66 | (2) The department shall cooperate fully with the Federal |
67 | Government and its agencies and instrumentalities so that the |
68 | department may receive the benefit of all federal financial |
69 | allotments and assistance possible to carry out the purposes of |
70 | ss. 570.98-570.983. |
71 | (3) The department may act as agent of, or contract with, |
72 | the Federal Government, another state agency, or any county or |
73 | municipal government for the administration of the school food |
74 | service and nutrition programs, including the distribution of |
75 | funds provided by the Federal Government to support the school |
76 | food service and nutrition programs. |
77 | Section 5. Section 1006.06, Florida Statutes, is |
78 | renumbered as section 570.981, Florida Statutes, and amended to |
79 | read: |
80 | 570.981 1006.06 School food service programs.- |
81 | (1) In recognition of the demonstrated relationship |
82 | between good nutrition and the capacity of students to develop |
83 | and learn, it is the policy of the state to provide standards |
84 | for school food service and to require district school boards to |
85 | establish and maintain an appropriate private school food |
86 | service program consistent with the nutritional needs of |
87 | students. |
88 | (2) The department State Board of Education shall adopt |
89 | rules covering the administration and operation of the school |
90 | food service programs. |
91 | (3) Each district school board shall consider the |
92 | recommendations of the district school superintendent and adopt |
93 | policies to provide for an appropriate food and nutrition |
94 | program for students consistent with federal law and department |
95 | State Board of Education rule. |
96 | (4) The state shall provide the state National School |
97 | Lunch Act matching requirements. The funds provided shall be |
98 | distributed in such a manner as to comply with the requirements |
99 | of the National School Lunch Act. |
100 | (5)(a) Each district school board shall implement school |
101 | breakfast programs that make breakfast meals available to all |
102 | students in each elementary school. By the beginning of the |
103 | 2010-2011 school year, Universal school breakfast programs shall |
104 | be offered in schools in which 80 percent or more of the |
105 | students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Each |
106 | school shall, to the maximum extent practicable, make breakfast |
107 | meals available to students at an alternative site location, |
108 | which may include, but need not be limited to, alternative |
109 | breakfast options as described in publications of the Food and |
110 | Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture |
111 | for the federal School Breakfast Program. |
112 | (b) Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, Each school |
113 | district must annually set prices for breakfast meals at rates |
114 | that, combined with federal reimbursements and state |
115 | allocations, are sufficient to defray costs of school breakfast |
116 | programs without requiring allocations from the district's |
117 | operating funds, except if the district school board approves |
118 | lower rates. |
119 | (c) Each district school board is encouraged to provide |
120 | universal-free school breakfast meals to all students in each |
121 | elementary, middle, and high school. By the beginning of the |
122 | 2010-2011 school year, Each district school board shall approve |
123 | or disapprove a policy, after receiving public testimony |
124 | concerning the proposed policy at two or more regular meetings, |
125 | which makes universal-free school breakfast meals available to |
126 | all students in each elementary, middle, and high school in |
127 | which 80 percent or more of the students are eligible for free |
128 | or reduced-price meals. |
129 | (d) Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, Each |
130 | elementary, middle, and high school shall make a breakfast meal |
131 | available if a student arrives at school on the school bus less |
132 | than 15 minutes before the first bell rings and shall allow the |
133 | student at least 15 minutes to eat the breakfast. |
134 | (e) Each school district shall annually provide to all |
135 | students in each elementary, middle, and high school information |
136 | prepared by the district's food service administration regarding |
137 | its school breakfast programs. The information shall be |
138 | communicated through school announcements and written notice |
139 | sent to all parents. |
140 | (f) A district school board may operate a breakfast |
141 | program providing for food preparation at the school site or in |
142 | central locations with distribution to designated satellite |
143 | schools or any combination thereof. |
144 | (g) The commissioner shall make every reasonable effort to |
145 | ensure that any school designated as a "severe need school" |
146 | receives the highest rate of reimbursement to which it is |
147 | entitled under 42 U.S.C. s. 1773 for each breakfast meal served. |
148 | (h) The department shall annually allocate among the |
149 | school districts funds provided from the school breakfast |
150 | supplement in the General Appropriations Act based on each |
151 | district's total number of free and reduced-price breakfast |
152 | meals served. |
153 | (6) The Legislature, recognizing that school children need |
154 | nutritious food not only for healthy physical and intellectual |
155 | development but also to combat diseases related to poor |
156 | nutrition and obesity, establishes the Florida Farm Fresh |
157 | Schools Program within the department of Education as the lead |
158 | agency for the program. The program shall comply with the |
159 | regulations of the National School Lunch Program and require: |
160 | (a) The department of Education to work with the |
161 | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop |
162 | policies pertaining to school food services which encourage: |
163 | 1. School districts to buy fresh and high-quality foods |
164 | grown in this state when feasible. |
165 | 2. Farmers in this state to sell their products to school |
166 | districts and schools. |
167 | 3. School districts and schools to demonstrate a |
168 | preference for competitively priced organic food products. |
169 | (b) School districts and schools to make reasonable |
170 | efforts to select foods based on a preference for those that |
171 | have maximum nutritional content. |
172 | (c) The department of Education, in collaboration with the |
173 | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to provide |
174 | outreach, guidance, and training to school districts, schools, |
175 | school food service directors, parent and teacher organizations, |
176 | and students about the benefits of fresh food products from |
177 | farms in this state. |
178 | Section 6. Section 1006.0606, Florida Statutes, is |
179 | renumbered as section 570.982, Florida Statutes, and amended to |
180 | read: |
181 | 570.982 1006.0606 Children's summer nutrition program.- |
182 | (1) This section may be cited as the "Ms. Willie Ann Glenn |
183 | Act." |
184 | (2) Each district school board shall develop a plan by May |
185 | 1, 2006, to sponsor a summer nutrition program beginning the |
186 | summer of 2006 to operate sites in the school district as |
187 | follows: |
188 | (a) Within 5 miles of at least one elementary school at |
189 | which 50 percent or more of the students are eligible for free |
190 | or reduced-price school meals and for the duration of 35 |
191 | consecutive days; and |
192 | (b) Except as operated pursuant to paragraph (a), within |
193 | 10 miles of each elementary school at which 50 percent or more |
194 | of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price school |
195 | meals. |
196 | (3)(a) A district school board boards may be exempt from |
197 | sponsoring a summer nutrition program pursuant to this section. |
198 | A district school board seeking such exemption must include the |
199 | issue on an agenda at a regular or special district school board |
200 | meeting that is publicly noticed, provide residents an |
201 | opportunity to participate in the discussion, and vote on |
202 | whether to be exempt from this section. The district school |
203 | board shall notify the commissioner of Education within 10 days |
204 | after it decides to become exempt from this section. |
205 | (b) Each year the district school board shall reconsider |
206 | its decision to be exempt from the provisions of this section |
207 | and shall vote on whether to continue the exemption from |
208 | sponsoring a summer nutrition program. The district school board |
209 | shall notify the commissioner of Education within 10 days after |
210 | each subsequent year's decision to continue the exemption. |
211 | (c) If a district school board elects to be exempt from |
212 | sponsoring a summer nutrition program under this section, the |
213 | district school board may encourage not-for-profit entities to |
214 | sponsor the program. If a not-for-profit entity chooses to |
215 | sponsor the summer nutrition program but fails to perform with |
216 | regard to the program, the district school board, the school |
217 | district, and the department of Education are not required to |
218 | continue the program and shall be held harmless from any |
219 | liability arising from the discontinuation of the summer |
220 | nutrition program. |
221 | (4) The superintendent of schools may collaborate with |
222 | municipal and county governmental agencies and private, not-for- |
223 | profit leaders in implementing the plan. Although schools have |
224 | proven to be the optimal site for a summer nutrition program, |
225 | any not-for-profit entity may serve as a site or sponsor. By |
226 | April 15 of each year, each school district with a summer |
227 | nutrition program shall report to the department the district's |
228 | summer nutrition program sites in compliance with this section. |
229 | (5) The department shall provide to each district school |
230 | board by February 15 of each year a list of local organizations |
231 | that have filed letters of intent to participate in the summer |
232 | nutrition program in order that a district school board is able |
233 | to determine how many sites are needed to serve the children and |
234 | where to place each site. |
235 | Section 7. Section 1010.77, Florida Statutes, is |
236 | renumbered as section 570.983, Florida Statutes, and amended to |
237 | read: |
238 | 570.983 1010.77 Food and Nutrition Services Trust Fund.- |
239 | Chapter 99-37 99-34, Laws of Florida, re-created the Food and |
240 | Nutrition Services Trust Fund to record revenue and |
241 | disbursements of Federal Food and Nutrition funds received by |
242 | the department of Education as authorized in s. 570.981 1006.06. |
243 | Section 8. Section 1003.453, Florida Statutes, is amended |
244 | to read: |
245 | 1003.453 School wellness and physical education policies; |
246 | nutrition guidelines.- |
247 | (1) By September 1, 2006, Each school district shall |
248 | submit to the Department of Education a copy of its school |
249 | wellness policy as required by the Child Nutrition and WIC |
250 | Reauthorization Act of 2004 and a copy of its physical education |
251 | policy required under s. 1003.455. Each school district shall |
252 | annually review its school wellness policy and physical |
253 | education policy and provide a procedure for public input and |
254 | revisions. In addition, each school district shall send an |
255 | updated copy of its wellness policy and physical education |
256 | policy to the department and to the Department of Agriculture |
257 | and Consumer Services when a change or revision is made. |
258 | (2) By December 1, 2006, The department shall post links |
259 | to each school district's school wellness policy and physical |
260 | education policy on its website so that the policies can be |
261 | accessed and reviewed by the public. Each school district shall |
262 | provide the most current versions of its school wellness policy |
263 | and physical education policy on the district's website. |
264 | (3) By December 1, 2006, The department must provide on |
265 | its website links to resources that include information |
266 | regarding: |
267 | (a) Classroom instruction on the benefits of exercise and |
268 | healthful eating. |
269 | (b) Classroom instruction on the health hazards of using |
270 | tobacco and being exposed to tobacco smoke. |
271 | (c) The eight components of a coordinated school health |
272 | program, including health education, physical education, health |
273 | services, and nutrition services. |
274 | (d) The core measures for school health and wellness, such |
275 | as the School Health Index. |
276 | (e) Access for each student to the nutritional content of |
277 | foods and beverages and to healthful food choices in accordance |
278 | with the dietary guidelines of the United States Department of |
279 | Agriculture. This information shall also be accessible from the |
280 | website of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. |
281 | (f) Multiple examples of school wellness policies for |
282 | school districts. |
283 | (g) Examples of wellness classes that provide nutrition |
284 | education for teachers and school support staff, including |
285 | encouragement to provide classes that are taught by a licensed |
286 | nutrition professional from the school nutrition department. |
287 | (4) School districts are encouraged to provide basic |
288 | training in first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, |
289 | for all students, beginning in grade 6 and every 2 years |
290 | thereafter. Private and public partnerships for providing |
291 | training or necessary funding are encouraged. |
292 | Section 9. This section shall take effect upon this act |
293 | becoming a law and, within 30 days thereafter, the Department of |
294 | Education, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture |
295 | and Consumer Services, shall develop and submit to the United |
296 | States Department of Agriculture a request for a waiver required |
297 | to transfer administration of the school food service and |
298 | nutrition programs from the Department of Education to the |
299 | Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Upon receipt of |
300 | the United States Department of Agriculture's approval or denial |
301 | of the request for a waiver, the Department of Education shall |
302 | immediately notify the President of the Senate, the Speaker of |
303 | the House of Representatives, and the Governor, in writing, of |
304 | the United States Department of Agriculture's decision. The |
305 | notification shall include a copy of the United States |
306 | Department of Agriculture's approval or denial of the request |
307 | for a waiver. |
308 | Section 10. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this |
309 | act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon |
310 | this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect January 1, |
311 | 2012, if the United States Department of Agriculture approves |
312 | the request for a waiver, pursuant to section 9 of this act, on |
313 | or before November 1, 2011. |