BILL REQ. #:  H-2895.4 

Read first time 01/16/14.   Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.

     AN ACT Relating to equipment assistance grants to enhance student nutrition in public schools; adding a new section to chapter 28A.235 RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   This act may be known and cited as the apple a day act of 2014.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The legislature finds healthy eating in childhood and adolescence is important for optimal growth and development. The legislature further finds that states are facing a nutrition crisis that is unprecedented. Childhood obesity and diabetes are serious public health concerns. The legislature further finds that healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing diabetes and other related diseases. The legislature further finds that public schools are in a unique position to promote healthy eating, ensure appropriate food and nutrient intake among students, provide students with opportunities to consume an array of foods and beverages throughout the school day, and enable students to learn about and practice healthy eating behaviors. The legislature further finds that many schools across the state lack the necessary equipment and kitchen infrastructure required to support the storage, preparation, and service of minimally processed and whole foods. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to establish a competitive equipment assistance grant program for public schools to improve the quality of food service meals that meet federal dietary guidelines, increase the consumption of whole foods, and support the use of modified scratch, from scratch, or other cooking methods that enhance overall student nutrition.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28A.235 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A competitive equipment assistance grant program, to be known as the apple a day program, is established to enhance overall student nutrition in public schools.
     (2) The superintendent of public instruction must establish a competitive process to prioritize applications for state assistance as follows:
     (a) The superintendent of public instruction must conduct a statewide solicitation of project applications from public school districts for common schools and public schools participating in the national school breakfast or the national school lunch program, as determined by the superintendent of public instruction.
     (b) The superintendent of public instruction must evaluate and rank applications in consultation with an advisory committee of at least three members of selected organizations concerned with child nutrition, including one Washington school nutrition association representative and one representative from east of the crest of the Cascade mountains, using objective criteria.
     (c) The superintendent of public instruction must require applicants to demonstrate, at a minimum, the following:
     (i) Use of the proposed equipment will enhance nutrition and improve student access to healthier foods. Applicants must submit current school menus and proposed menus using the requested equipment; and
     (ii) Healthy eating and physical activity are actively promoted to students, parents, teachers, and the community.
     (3) In evaluating and ranking applications, the superintendent of public instruction shall give funding priority to:
     (a) Public schools in which at least fifty percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals;
     (b) Project applications that provide a dollar-for-dollar match from nonstate sources. Nonstate match may include cash and in-kind contributions, and may be applied to the equipment purchase, labor costs associated with equipment installation or renovation, disposal of old equipment, minor capital improvements required to accommodate the equipment, and staff training costs;
     (c) Public schools that can demonstrate nutrition is integrated into core curriculum areas such as math, science, language arts, physical education, or other areas.
     (4) For purposes of this section, "equipment" includes new equipment, renovation of equipment, or replacement of equipment. Minor capital improvements required to accommodate the installation of equipment may also be eligible for state assistance.
     (5) The superintendent of public instruction must award a minimum of forty-five percent, or no more than sixty percent, of total appropriations provided for the purposes of this section to applicants located east of the crest of the Cascade mountain range. The balance of the appropriation must be awarded to applicants located west of the crest of the Cascade mountain range. This subsection is not intended to limit the ability of the superintendent of public instruction to award all of the funds in the event that there are not enough qualified applications submitted from public school districts or public schools located east or west of the crest of the Cascade mountain range.
     (6) State appropriations provided for the purposes of this section must not be used for state or school district administrative purposes.
     (7) In consultation with the advisory committee, the superintendent of public instruction must develop and track specific, quantifiable outcome measures of the grant program, and report the outcome measures and any preliminary results to the legislature by January 1, 2015.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   The sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2015, from the common school construction account to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.