The bill establishes the Washington local food for schools program within the office of the superintendent of public instruction, aimed at increasing the procurement and distribution of Washington-grown foods to school food authorities. Participation in this program is voluntary for school food authorities involved in the national school lunch program, unless mandated by state or federal law. The program will create a local foods catalog, offer ordering windows through the USDA foods system, and coordinate storage and distribution to ease logistical burdens. Additionally, it mandates that procurements align with state and federal procurement requirements and allows for geographic preferences for unprocessed agricultural products.

The bill also outlines collaborative efforts among various state departments to support the program and farm-to-school initiatives, including the development of uniform procurement procedures and technical assistance for local vendors. It allows the superintendent's office to receive and utilize gifts, grants, or endowments to sustain the program and encourages leveraging federal funds. Amendments to existing laws include the promotion of the local food for schools program alongside other regional market initiatives and the establishment of a farm-to-school program to facilitate increased procurement of Washington-grown food by schools. The act is officially titled the Washington local food for schools act.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 28A.235.180, 15.64.060