2008 House Bill 2798 (local farms-healthy kids and communities act)

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• Introduced by Rep. Eric Pettigrew, (D-Seattle) on January 16, 2008, to create a program that encourages the purchase of local farm products by schools and other governmental agencies. This act also provides grants to assist in the fulfilling of the goals and intent of this act. Among other things, this act requires the State to track the success of the local farms program (SB 6483).
  • Referred to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on January 16, 2008.
    • Substitute offered in the House on January 30, 2008, to clarify changes in procurement policy between the GA and the OSPI and adds a definition of Washington grown food. The substitute also clarifies provisions for off-contract purchasing of Washington grown food for the GA and moves the Farmers Market Technology Improvement Pilot Program from the WSDA to the DSHS and moves the Farmers to Food Banks Pilot Program from the WSDA to the DCTED. In addition tracking and reporting requirements are modified so that the OFM must report biennially to the Legislature on the outcomes with regard to Washington grown food purchasing by the GA and common schools. The substitute also allows, among other things, the Washington Grown Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Grant Program to include dried fruits and vegetables; requires the Department of Health to adopt rules so that individual farms can participate in either the Women, Infant, and Children Program or the Farmers Market as appropriate; clarifies that the Act does not impact the state's obligations under trade agreements; allows schools to operate either school gardens or farms as appropriate; removes the appropriations; makes technical corrections.
  • Referred to the House Appropriations Committee on February 4, 2008.
    • Substitute offered in the House on February 11, 2008, to add a null and void clause, making the bill null and void unless funded in the budget. A severability clause was added, ensuring that any provisions of the bill that conflict with federal law are inoperative. The substitute bill removes the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee reports for the Farmers to Food Bank Program and the Farmers Market Technology Improvement Program and requires the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development and the Department of Social and Health Services to collect data on the activities undertaken pursuant to this act and communicate such information biennially to the Legislature. The substitute bill removes requirements for the Office of Financial Management to track trends in purchasing and report to the Legislature. The substitute bill removes language that would modify the Women, Infant, and Children Program to facilitate the participation of individual farms.
    • The substitute passed in the House by voice vote on February 13, 2008.
  • Referred to the House Rules Committee on February 12, 2008.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Dan Newhouse, (R-Sunnyside) on February 13, 2008, to give students who participate in school agricultural, vocational programs preference for participating in school gardens or farms; requires that school gardens or farms authorized under this act must afford students the opportunity to learn both conventional and organic farming. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on February 13, 2008.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Eric Pettigrew, (D-Seattle) on February 13, 2008, to allow the Department of Social and Health Services to work with farmers markets and appropriate organizations to distribute the technology hardware for the farmers Market Technology Improvement Program to serve a balance of rural and urban farmers market without developing a program; limits the Farmers to Food Banks Pilot Program to no more than five pilots and requires that one must be in an urban area with over 500,000 residents, at least two must be east of the crest of the Cascades; and at least one must be in a rural county as defined by statute. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on February 13, 2008.
    • Amendment offered by Rep. Deb Wallace, (D-Vancouver) on February 13, 2008, to require the Department of Health to adopt rules to allow individual farms with farm stands to participate in the Women, Infant, and Children Farmers Market Nutrition Program. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on February 13, 2008.
• Passed in the House (95 to 1) on February 13, 2008. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the Senate on February 15, 2008.
  • Referred to the Senate Agriculture and Rural Economic Development Committee on February 15, 2008.

Comments

Introduced by Rep. Eric Pettigrew, (D-Seattle) on January 16, 2008. Passed in the House (95 to 1) on February 13, 2008. New Comment