SB 572 — Creating Farm-to-School Grant Program

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Red = new code to be enacted WEST virginia legislature regular session IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Bill 572 By Senators Karnes, Sypolt, Cline, Ojeda, and Plymale [Introduced[Originating Februaryin 16,the 2018;Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development;

ReferredReported on February 21, 2018]     A BILL to amend the CommitteeCode onof AgricultureWest Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §19-36-1, §19-36-2, §19-36-3, §19-36-4, §19-36-5, and Rural§19-36-6, Development;all relating to creating the West Virginia Farm-to-School Grant Program;

and then to the Committee on Education] A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §19-36-1, §19-36-2, §19-36-3, §19-36-4, §19-36-5, and §19-36-6, all relating to creation of the Farm-to-School Grant Program;

and requiring program review and reports.

The Legislature finds that it is an important public policy to promote fresh, healthy, and local agricultural products in public schools and to provide an incentive for farmers to sell local foods to public schools in this state by providing a competitive grant program.program.  Therefore, the Legislature hereby establishes the West Virginia Farm-to-School Grant Program.

 Therefore, the Legislature hereby establishes the West Virginia Farm-to-School Grant Program.

The fund may receive any appropriations, gifts, grants, contributionscontributions, or other money from any source that is designated for deposit into the fund.

(c) Administrative expenses of the department may not exceed 10 percent of the funds deposited in any fiscal year.year:

Provided, That the department’s administrative expenses shall not exceed $25,000 for any fiscal year.

The commissioner shall award $25,000 grants, or one tenth of the available grant money,money after subtracting department administrative expenses, whichever is greater, for the following:

(1) Each of the top five public schools that purchasepurchases the largest percentage of local foods in comparison to the student population, with no more than one school per county eligible for the grant award;

and (2) Each of the top five county school districts that purchasepurchases the largest percentage of local foods in comparison to the district's student population.

(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture may propose rules for legislative approval, in consultation with the Department of Education, in accordance with the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq.

Beginning on the first day of the second taxable year after the passage of this article and every two years thereafter, the department shall submit to the Governor, the President of the SenateSenate, and the Speaker of the House of Delegates,Delegates a program review and accountability report evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program during the most recent two-year period for which information is available.

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The purpose of this bill is to establish the Farm-To-School Grant Program.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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