The bill titled "An Act Concerning Enhancements to the Local Food for Schools Incentive Program" seeks to improve Connecticut's local food initiative by broadening eligibility and clarifying definitions. It replaces the term "Eligible board of education" with "Eligible entity," allowing licensed child care providers to participate alongside local and regional boards of education. The definitions of "locally sourced food" and "regionally sourced food" are refined to emphasize traceability within Connecticut and neighboring states. The bill mandates reimbursement payments for eligible entities purchasing locally and regionally sourced food, with specific rates established for each category.

Furthermore, the bill transfers the program's administration from the Department of Agriculture to the State Department of Education (SDE), which will hire a full-time employee to manage operations starting in fiscal year 2026. It requires that at least 20% of the annual appropriation be allocated for engaging external partners to provide supplemental services related to farm-to-school programs. The preference criteria for farmers are updated from "socially disadvantaged farmers" to "historically underserved farmers," and a provision allowing schools to receive supplemental LFSIP grants for similar services is deleted. The bill also specifies that food must be used in an eligible meal program to qualify for reimbursement, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-215m
ED Joint Favorable Substitute Change of Reference: 10-215m
APP Joint Favorable Substitute: 10-215m
File No. 834: 10-215m