Florida Senate - 2017                                    SB 1692
       
       
        
       By Senator Torres
       
       
       
       
       
       15-01360A-17                                          20171692__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to school garden programs; creating s.
    3         1003.481, F.S.; requiring the Department of Education,
    4         in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture
    5         and Consumer Services, to annually provide certain
    6         information relating to school garden programs to
    7         school districts; authorizing schools that establish a
    8         school garden program to allow certain students to
    9         select and receive produce from the garden; providing
   10         for the distribution of produce; providing an
   11         exemption from certain statutes and rules; providing
   12         an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 1003.481, Florida Statutes, is created
   17  to read:
   18         1003.481 School garden programs.—
   19         (1) The Department of Education, in collaboration with the
   20  Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, shall annually
   21  provide information to each school district related to
   22  establishing a school garden program at schools within the
   23  district. The information must include, but is not limited to,
   24  requirements for establishing a school garden program, state
   25  grants available for school garden programs, and other available
   26  resources.
   27         (2) A school that establishes a school garden program may
   28  select one day a week to allow students who qualify for free or
   29  reduced-price school lunch to select and receive produce from
   30  the garden. Each school garden program may establish procedures
   31  for the distribution of produce.
   32         (3) A school that establishes a school garden program is
   33  exempt from any portion of statute or rule that prohibits a
   34  student from receiving produce from or consuming produce grown
   35  in a garden on school grounds through the school garden program.
   36         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.