Substitute House Bill No. 7013 seeks to enhance the Local Food for Schools Incentive Program (LFSIP) by broadening its eligibility criteria and updating key 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," specifying their geographic origins. Furthermore, 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. The administration of the program is transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the State Department of Education, which will hire a full-time employee to manage operations starting in fiscal year 2026.

Additional provisions in the bill require the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to develop guidelines that promote equity and assist eligible entities in participating in the program. At least 20% of the annual appropriation must be allocated for engaging external partners to provide supplemental services related to farm-to-school programming. The bill also modifies the preference criteria for farmers from "socially disadvantaged farmers" to "historically underserved farmers" and eliminates a provision for supplemental grants to schools, streamlining the funding process. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025, and an annual report on the program's implementation and effectiveness is required, with the first report due by January 1, 2026.

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