Substitute House Bill No. 7013 seeks to enhance the Local Food for Schools Incentive Program (LFSIP) by broadening eligibility criteria and updating definitions. The bill replaces the term "Eligible board of education" with "Eligible entity," which now includes local or regional boards of education and licensed child care providers that offer meal programs. It introduces definitions for "locally sourced food" and "regionally sourced food," clarifying their geographic origins. The bill mandates reimbursement payments for purchasing these foods, with rates set at one-half for locally sourced and one-third for regionally sourced foods. Additionally, it shifts the program's administration from the Department of Agriculture to the State Department of Education (SDE), which will hire a full-time employee to oversee the program starting in fiscal year 2026.

Moreover, the bill stipulates that at least 20% of the annual appropriation must be allocated for engaging external partners to provide supplemental services related to farm-to-school programming. It modifies the preference criteria for farmers from "socially disadvantaged farmers" to "historically underserved farmers" and eliminates a provision allowing schools to receive supplemental LFSIP grants for similar services. The bill also specifies that food must be used in an eligible meal program to qualify for reimbursement. The effective date for these changes is set for 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