PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1769 PRINTER'S NO. 2047
No. 1209 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, KITCHEN, WENGER, FUMO, MADIGAN, REGOLA, TARTAGLIONE, BOSCOLA, MUSTO, O'PAKE, ERICKSON, RAFFERTY, SCARNATI, RHOADES, FONTANA, PILEGGI, COSTA, PUNT, ORIE, LEMMOND, CORMAN, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, BROWNE, C. WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON, STOUT, A. WILLIAMS, LOGAN AND HUGHES, APRIL 27, 2006
SENATOR WENGER, APPROPRIATIONS, RE-REPORTED AS AMENDED, SEPTEMBER 19, 2006
AN ACT 1 Providing for the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Program. 2 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 3 hereby enacts as follows: 4 Section 1. Short title. 5 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Healthy Farms 6 and Healthy Schools Act. 7 Section 2. Findings and declarations. 8 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: 9 (1) An alarming percentage of our school-aged children 10 have an unhealthy weight. In large part, this is due to poor 11 eating habits. Pilot programs have shown that focused 12 nutritional education in the early school years coupled with 13 exposure to a variety of healthy foods can initiate a long- 14 term increase in healthy eating habits as children mature. 15 (2) Agriculture is this Commonwealth's most successful
1 economic engine. Unfortunately, the percentage of our 2 population directly involved in agriculture has decreased 3 dramatically over the last several decades. Knowledge about 4 the sources of our food and agriculture in Pennsylvania is 5 not widespread in our communities, particularly in less 6 affluent areas. Educational programs for young children 7 providing hands-on experience with agriculture increases an 8 awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet. Thus, it is 9 vital to inform the future citizens of this Commonwealth 10 about good eating habits, while demonstrating the importance 11 of the role of local farms in achieving this crucial goal. 12 (3) An initiative accomplishing this two-fold purpose is 13 decisive in ensuring the citizenry of this Commonwealth will 14 be healthy in the coming years. The purposes of this program 15 are to educate kindergartners and their families about the 16 importance of choosing healthy, locally produced foods and 17 increase awareness of Pennsylvania agriculture. Furthermore, 18 the initiative should aid Pennsylvania farmers in gaining 19 access to new markets within this Commonwealth. Consequently, 20 the Commonwealth should institute a program including: 21 (i) Nutrition education involving student 22 participation which is integrated into regular subjects 23 in the curriculum of primary and secondary education 24 institutions. 25 (ii) Focusing on locally grown foods provided from 26 Pennsylvania farms. 27 (iii) Equipping teachers and other educators to 28 incorporate nutrition and agriculture education into 29 their instruction. 30 (iv) Providing for new direct marketing 20060S1209B2047 - 2 -
1 opportunities for Pennsylvania farmers.
2 (v) Providing for family and community involvement,
3 including parent, caregiver and community group
4 participation in education activities.
5 (vi) Visits to nearby farms for school children so
6 they may understand and learn more about the sources of
7 their food.
8 Section 3. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Department." The Department of Agriculture of the
13 Commonwealth.
14 "Program." The Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Program
15 established under this act.
16 "Secretary." The Secretary of Agriculture of the
17 Commonwealth.
18 Section 4. Grant program.
19 (a) Authorization.--The department, in consultation with the
20 Department of Education and the Department of Health, is
21 authorized to establish a program to award grants for the
22 purpose of developing the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools
23 Program in kindergarten classes in this Commonwealth.
24 (b) Eligibility.--Any public SCHOOL DISTRICT, CHARTER SCHOOL <--
25 or private school with a kindergarten program may submit an
26 application to the department for funding.
27 (c) Program requirements.--The program shall contain the
28 following elements:
29 (1) A list of Pennsylvania farmers who have agreed to
30 supply food products from Pennsylvania farms, verifiable by
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1 the department. 2 (2) Nutrition and agriculture education, including 3 integration into regular classroom subjects. 4 (3) Training of teachers and other educational staff on 5 nutrition and agriculture education. 6 (4) The inclusion of parents, caregivers and community 7 groups in educational activities. 8 (5) Field trips to Pennsylvania farms or other direct 9 agricultural educational experiences which teach children 10 about sources of food and Pennsylvania agriculture. 11 Section 5. Limitation on grants. 12 (a) Matching.--Grant amounts shall be limited to 75% of the 13 amount necessary to develop the program, not to exceed $15,000 14 annually, per school. Applicants may use in-kind support to 15 match the amount granted. 16 (b) Conditions.--The secretary may approve a grant in an 17 amount less than the requested amount. The secretary may also 18 impose restrictions or special conditions upon issuance of the 19 grant. 20 Section 6. Applications and review of applications. 21 (a) Submission.--Applications for grants shall be submitted 22 in a manner and form as prescribed by the secretary. 23 (b) Evaluation.--When reviewing applications, the secretary 24 shall evaluate applications annually on the basis of all of the 25 following: 26 (1) The ability of the applicant to complete the 27 program. 28 (2) The ability of the applicant to incorporate all of 29 the program requirements. 30 (3) The location of the school in an area where a high 20060S1209B2047 - 4 -
1 percentage of the children receive free or reduced-price 2 school meals. 3 (4) The potential of the program to increase knowledge 4 about nutrition and healthy eating habits for the children, 5 their caregivers and the community. 6 (5) The potential of the program to increase knowledge 7 about Pennsylvania agriculture for the children, their 8 caregivers and the community. 9 (6) The ability of the applicant to procure locally 10 grown foods for their program. 11 (7) The potential of the program to increase markets for 12 local agricultural producers. 13 (8) The number of people who will be served by the 14 program. 15 (9) The ability of the applicant to sustain the program. 16 (10) The overall performance of the applicant if a grant 17 was received in a previous year. 18 Section 7. Disposition of grants. 19 (a) Written agreement.--The department may require a written 20 agreement describing the terms and conditions of the grant. 21 (b) Verification.--The department may require verification 22 of grant expenditures. 23 (c) Criteria.--The department may establish criteria under 24 which the secretary may demand the return of all or a portion of 25 the grant funds. 26 Section 8. Administration and contracting. 27 Funds appropriated for this program may be used for 28 administrative purposes which execute the program, including 29 contracting with one or more entities to carry out the 30 provisions of this act. 20060S1209B2047 - 5 -
1 Section 9. Regulations.
2 The department shall promulgate regulations as it deems
3 necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.
4 Section 10. Funding.
5 Grants shall be awarded to the extent funds are made
6 available by the General Assembly.
7 Section 11. Effective date.
8 This act shall take effect in 60 days. <--
9 THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT JULY 1, 2007. <--
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