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