[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1720 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1720

To conduct a pilot program in support of efforts to increase the amount 
   of purchases of local fresh fruits and vegetables for schools and 
service institutions by giving certain States the option of receiving a 
  grant from the Secretary of Agriculture for that purpose instead of 
    obtaining commodities under Department of Agriculture programs.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2013

   Mr. Welch (for himself, Mr. Gibson, Ms. Pingree of Maine, and Mr. 
 DesJarlais) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To conduct a pilot program in support of efforts to increase the amount 
   of purchases of local fresh fruits and vegetables for schools and 
service institutions by giving certain States the option of receiving a 
  grant from the Secretary of Agriculture for that purpose instead of 
    obtaining commodities under Department of Agriculture programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Local School Foods Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, 
              AND OTHER SPECIALTY FOOD CROPS.

    Section 10603 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 
(7 U.S.C. 612c-4) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``2012'' and inserting 
        ``2017'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(c) Pilot Grant Program for Purchase of Fresh Fruits and 
Vegetables.--
            ``(1) In general.--Using amounts made available to carry 
        out subsection (b), the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct 
        a pilot program under which the Secretary will give not more 
        than five participating States the option of receiving a grant 
        in an amount equal to the value of the commodities that the 
        participating State would otherwise receive under this section 
        for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.
            ``(2) Use of grant funds.--A participating State receiving 
        a grant under this subsection may use the grant funds solely to 
        purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to 
        schools and service institutions in the State that participate 
        in the food service programs under the Richard B. Russell 
        National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and the 
        Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.). To the 
        maximum extent practicable, the fruits and vegetables shall be 
        locally grown, as determined by the State.
            ``(3) Selection of participating states.--The Secretary 
        shall select participating States from applications submitted 
        by the States.
            ``(4) Reporting requirements.--
                    ``(A) School and service institution requirement.--
                Schools and service institutions in a participating 
                State shall keep records of purchases of fresh fruits 
                and vegetables made using the grant funds and report 
                such records to the State.
                    ``(B) State requirement.--Each participating State 
                shall submit to the Secretary a report on the success 
                of the pilot program in the State, including 
                information on--
                            ``(i) the amount and value of each type of 
                        fresh fruit and vegetable purchased by the 
                        State; and
                            ``(ii) the benefit provided by such 
                        purchases in conducting the school food service 
                        in the State, including meeting school meal 
                        requirements.''.
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