Bill Summaries: H136 (2021)

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  • Summary date: Feb 23 2021 - View summary

    Includes whereas clauses.

    Part I

    Amends GS 115C-12 to require the State Board of Education to ensure 100% muscadine grape juice (muscadine grape juice) is available in all public schools as part of the school's nutrition program or through the school's vending facilities. Enacts GS 115C-264.5, GS 115C-218.75(i), GS 115C-238.66(17), and GS 116-239.8(b)(4)c. to require local boards of education, charter schools, regional schools, and laboratory schools to charge these entities with the same duty to ensure muscadine grape juice is available to students as part of the school's nutrition program or through the school's vending facilities. Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year. 

    Similarly, amends GS 115D-20 to require the State Board of Community Colleges to make available muscadine grape juice as a beverage option in the operation of the community college's vending facilities. Enacts GS 116-43.25 to require UNC constituent institutions to make muscadine grape juice available as a beverage option in the operation of the institution's vending facilities. Applies beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.

    Part II

    States legislative findings concerning the importance of the availability of fresh produce and products to NC children and its benefit to NC farmers and food processors. 

    Directs the Food Distribution Division of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) to revise its bidding, procurement, and ordering procedures for the Farm to School Program to include fruit and fruit products to the list of those made available to school nutrition programs by December 1, 2021. Requires the fruit or fruit product producer to be a participant in the Got To Be NC marketing program, and requires that the fruit or fruit product meet all nutritional and packaging requirements for foods supplied to school nutrition programs under federal and State law. Directs DACS to provide an interim report by September 1, 2021, and a final report by January 1, 2022, to the specified NCGA committee and division.