Bill Text: TX SB1866 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to an award program to recognize school nutrition program excellence.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-25 - Referred to Agriculture, Water, & Rural Affairs [SB1866 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1866-Introduced.html
| By: Zaffirini, Lucio | S.B. No. 1866 | |
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| relating to an award program to recognize school nutrition program | ||
| excellence. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Section 12.00251 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 12.00251. HUNGER FREE SCHOOLS AWARD PROGRAM. | ||
| (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the department by | ||
| rule shall establish an award program under which schools may | ||
| receive recognition from the department for excellence in providing | ||
| federally funded meals to students during the school year and | ||
| during the summer. The department shall create a logo for the award | ||
| program and publish an application form for the award program on the | ||
| department's Internet website. | ||
| (b) The department by rule shall establish eligibility | ||
| criteria for schools to quality for consideration of an award under | ||
| this section. The criteria must include consideration of: | ||
| (1) whether the school participates in: | ||
| (A) the national school breakfast program | ||
| provided by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. Section | ||
| 1773); | ||
| (B) the national school lunch program of free or | ||
| reduced-price lunches; | ||
| (C) the Child and Adult Care Food Program; and | ||
| (D) the summer food service program under 42 | ||
| U.S.C. Section 1761; | ||
| (2) for each federal meal program offered by the | ||
| school, the average daily participation rates of students in the | ||
| school who are educationally disadvantaged, as defined by Section | ||
| 5.001, Education Code; | ||
| (3) whether the school uses alternative or innovative | ||
| school food service models for school meal programs; | ||
| (4) whether the school makes a school meal program | ||
| available to all students at no charge through use of the federal | ||
| Community Eligibility Provision, Provision 2 option under 7 C.F.R. | ||
| Section 245, or another mechanism; and | ||
| (5) any other criteria the department determines is | ||
| appropriate. | ||
| (c) Between November 1 and December 31 of each year, the | ||
| department shall issue 25 awards under this section. Each award | ||
| shall be based on the school's performance on the eligibility | ||
| criteria established under Subsection (b) during the preceding | ||
| year. | ||
| (d) The commissioner shall appoint a selection committee | ||
| composed of no fewer than five representatives of relevant | ||
| stakeholder groups to review all eligible applicants and select | ||
| schools to receive awards of no more than $2,000 under this section. | ||
| (e) Any awards made by the department for the award program | ||
| established under this section shall be deposited into the food | ||
| service accounts of the schools selected to receive an award under | ||
| this section. A school may use money received under this section | ||
| only to invest in the school's nutrition programs, purchase new | ||
| food-service equipment, or reward the school's nutrition staff. | ||
| (f) A school that has an excessive unassigned general fund | ||
| balance or that is not in compliance with state or federal | ||
| regulations is not eligible to receive an award under this section. | ||
| (g) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and | ||
| donations from any public or private source to implement this | ||
| subchapter. | ||
| (h) The department may adopt rules as necessary to | ||
| administer this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2016. | ||
