Sec. 12.0026. INTERAGENCY FARM-TO-SCHOOL COORDINATION TASK FORCE. (a) To promote a healthy diet for schoolchildren and the business of small to mid-sized local farms and ranches, the interagency farm-to-school coordination task force shall develop and implement a plan to facilitate the availability of locally grown food products in public schools.

(b) The task force is composed of:

(1) a representative of:

(A) the department, appointed by the commissioner;

(B) the Texas Education Agency, appointed by the commissioner of education; and

(C) the Department of State Health Services, appointed by the commissioner of state health services; and

(2) at least one representative of each of the following groups, appointed by the commissioner:

(A) fruit and vegetable producer organizations;

(B) school food service organizations;

(C) food distribution businesses;

(D) child nutrition and advocacy organizations;

(E) parent organizations;

(F) educational institutions that conduct research in the areas of agriculture and nutrition; and

(G) health nutrition educators who serve school districts.

(c) A member of the task force serves at the will of the official who appointed the member.

(d) The representative of the department serves as presiding officer. The task force may elect other necessary officers from its members.

(e) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding officer.

(f) The agency whose commissioner appoints a member is responsible for the expenses of a member's service on the task force. A member of the task force is not entitled to additional compensation for serving on the task force.

(g) Each appropriate agency or group represented on the task force shall provide the personnel and resources necessary to implement a task force measure under this section.

(h) The task force shall:

(1) design new education resources, or review or update existing resources, on nutrition and food education that may be used by schools and school districts;

(2) expand food-focused experiential education programs;

(3) offer assistance in identifying funding sources and grants that allow schools and school districts to recover the costs associated with purchasing locally grown food products;

(4) develop a database of available locally grown food products for use by school food service agencies that includes contact and purchasing information for the products;

(5) identify, design, or make available training programs to enable local farmers and ranchers to market their products to schools and school districts, including programs related to:

(A) crop production;

(B) marketing of crops;

(C) postharvest handling of crops;

(D) food safety;

(E) business management;

(F) liability and risk management; and

(G) other topics deemed appropriate by the task force;

(6) advise schools and school districts on methods by which a school or school district may improve its facilities to allow for the use of minimally processed, fresh, and locally produced foods in school meals;

(7) provide technical assistance to school food service agencies to establish procedures, recipes, menu rotations, and other internal processes that accommodate the use of locally grown foods in public schools;

(8) offer advanced skills development training to school food service employees regarding the proper methods of handling, preparing, and serving locally grown foods; and

(9) conduct any other activity considered by the task force as necessary to achieve its goals under this section.

(i) The task force may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from public and private entities to use for the purposes of this section.

(j) The task force may use any existing program or procedure that it determines to be useful in performing its duties under this section.

Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1376 (S.B. 1027), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.