Am. H.B. 68
128th General Assembly
(As Passed by the House)
Reps. Dodd, Weddington, Newcomb, Slesnick, Harris, Murray, Harwood, Sayre, Garrison, Domenick, Skindell, Stebelton, S. Williams, Okey, Letson, Heard, Book, Boose, Boyd, Brown, Carney, Chandler, DeBose, Fende, Garland, Gerberry, Goyal, Hackett, Hagan, Lehner, Luckie, Mallory, Oelslager, Patten, Phillips, Pryor, Stewart, Szollosi, B. Williams, Winburn, Yuko
BILL SUMMARY
· Creates the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Program, to be administered by the Director of Agriculture, to provide grants to public and private schools with kindergarten programs to educate kindergarten students and their families about choosing healthy, locally grown or produced foods and to increase awareness of Ohio agriculture.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
The bill creates the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Program to provide grants to public and private schools that have kindergarten programs. Schools operated by school districts, community (charter) schools, and private schools that meet the minimum standards of the State Board of Education (whether or not actually chartered by the State Board) may apply. The purpose of the program is to educate kindergarten students and their families about the importance of choosing healthy, locally grown or produced foods and to increase awareness of agriculture in Ohio. The Director of Agriculture must administer the program and consult with the Department of Education and the Department of Health in establishing it. (R.C. 901.92(A).)
Grants may be awarded for any of the following purposes:
(1) To provide kindergarteners with nutrition education. The education must be integrated into regular subjects in the curriculum and must focus on healthy food choices using agricultural products that are grown and produced in Ohio. Nutrition education activities must include parents, caregivers, and community groups.
(2) Training of teachers and other educational staff on nutrition education and agricultural education;
(3) Field trips to Ohio farms and other direct agricultural educational experiences that teach children about food sources, nutrition, and Ohio agriculture; and
(4) The purchase of Ohio agricultural products. (R.C. 901.92(B).)
The Director of Agriculture must maintain a list of persons involved in agriculture in this state that have agreed to supply food products and other supplies to assist grant recipients. (R.C. 901.92(C).)
Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools grants can fund only up to 75% of the estimated total cost of the proposed program for which the grant is sought, and the applicant must provide at least 25% of the estimated total cost. A school may not receive a grant in excess of $15,000 in any given school year. (R.C. 901.93(A).)
The Director of Agriculture must evaluate applications for grants annually on the basis of all of the following:
(1) The ability of the applicant to complete the proposed program for which the grant is sought;
(2) The ability of the applicant to perform adequately one of the grant program's purposes, listed above;
(3) The potential of the applicant's proposed program to increase knowledge about nutrition and healthy eating habits for children, their parents or caregivers, and the community;
(4) The potential of the applicant's proposed program to increase knowledge about Ohio agriculture for children, their parents or caregivers, and the community;
(5) The applicant's ability to procure locally grown or produced foods for the proposed program;
(6) The potential of the applicant's proposed program to increase markets for Ohio-based agricultural producers;
(7) The number of people to be served by the applicant's proposed program;
(8) The applicant's ability to sustain the proposed program; and
(9) The overall performance with respect to any previous Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools grants received by the applicant. (R.C. 901.93(B).)
The Director must give preference to schools where a significant percentage of students are eligible for free lunches (R.C. 901.93(B)).
The Director must require a written agreement establishing terms and conditions of a Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools grant and may establish procedures for verification of grant expenditures. The Director also may establish conditions under which money must be repaid if the terms and conditions of the grant are not satisfied. (R.C. 901.93(C).)
The bill authorizes the Director to adopt rules for administration of the grant program. The rules must be adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. (R.C. 901.94.) Finally, the bill establishes the Healthy Farms and Healthy Schools Grant Fund in the state treasury, to consist of money appropriated to it by the General Assembly. The Director must use money in the Fund to award grants and to administer the program. The bill does not appropriate any money to the Fund. (R.C. 901.95.)
HISTORY
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ACTION |
DATE |
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Introduced |
03-10-09 |
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Reported, H. Agriculture & Natural Resources |
04-30-09 |
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Passed House (82-13) |
05-06-09 |
h0068-ph-128.docx/kl