Sponsored by:
Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Senator RAYMOND J. LESNIAK
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Creates "Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund" in Dept. of Agriculture to help pay for child food and nutrition programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning child food and nutrition programs and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is hereby created in the Department of Agriculture a non-lapsing revolving fund to be known as the "Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund," which shall be held separate and apart from all other funds of the State. All monies appropriated annually by the Legislature, federal and other grants received by the State, and any other monies made available for the purposes of the fund shall be deposited in the fund.
Monies deposited in the fund shall be held in interest-bearing accounts in public depositories, as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1970, c.236 (C.17:9-41), and may be invested or reinvested in such securities as are approved by the State Treasurer. Interest or other income earned on monies deposited in the fund shall be credited to the fund for use as set forth in subsection b. of this section for other monies in the fund.
b. Monies in the "Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund" shall be used by the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, to provide support and funding to child food and nutrition programs in the State, which shall include:
(1) funding outreach and programmatic support by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, or community-based organizations;
(2) providing small grants to fund one-time startup or expansion costs of "breakfast after the bell" programs; and
(3) providing small grants to fund one-time start-up or expansion costs of summer nutrition programs.
c. Funding shall be prioritized for award to districts or schools with the highest number of eligible students and lowest participation in the school breakfast program.
d. The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, may adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this act.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish a non-lapsing revolving fund in the Department of Agriculture to be known as the "Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund." The bill requires that all monies appropriated annually by the Legislature, federal and other grants received by the State, and any other monies made available for the purposes of the fund would be deposited in the fund. Monies in the fund may be invested, and interest or other income earned on these investments would be credited to the fund.
Monies in the "Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund" would be used by the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, to provide support and funding to child food and nutrition programs in the State, which would include:
(1) funding outreach and programmatic support by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, or community-based organizations;
(2) providing small grants to fund one-time startup or expansion costs of "breakfast after the bell" programs; and
(3) providing small grants to fund one-time start-up or expansion costs of summer nutrition programs.
Funding would be prioritized for award to districts or schools with the highest number of eligible students and lowest participation in the school breakfast program.