,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cbic ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #ac1 #bjbj,mr4 ,booker 7for himself and ,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act to establish the ,food and ,nutrition ,education in ,schools ,pilot ,program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,food and ,nutrition ,education in ,schools ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,food and ,nutrition ,education in ,schools ,pilot ,program ,section #ah of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfi7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7l7 ,food and ,nutrition ,education in ,schools ,pilot ,program 7#a7 ,purpose ,the purpose of this subsection is to provide local educational agencies with human resources dedicated to implementing integrated1 hands-on food and nutrition education in schools with the goal of increasing acceptance and consumption of healthy1 high-quality meals and snacks by students4 7#b7 ,establishment ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this subsection1 the ,secretary shall establish a pilot program1 to be known as the ,food and ,nutrition ,education in ,schools ,pilot ,program 7referred to in this subsection as the pilot program71 under which the ,secretary shall award grants to local educational agencies for-- 7,a7 projects that hire qualified1 full-time food and nutrition educators to carry out programs in schools that have the goal of improving student health and nutrition2 and 7,b7 projects that fund school gardens or other evidence-based interventions relating to student health and nutrition to create hands-on learning opportunities for students4 7#c7 ,joint partnerships ,the ,secretary shall encourage1 to the maximum extent practicable1 joint partnership projects under the pilot program among-- 7,a7 agencies2 7,b7 nonprofit organizations2 7,c7 postsecondary institutions that offer programs on nutrition1 food preparation1 or agricultural science2 7,d7 food-service businesses 7such as local farms1 restaurants1 and food distributors72 7,e7 beginning farmers and ranchers 7as defined in section #beja7;a7 of the ,food1 ,agriculture1 ,conservation1 and ,trade ,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bbgi7;a7772 7,f7 veteran farmers and ranchers 7as defined in that section72 7,g7 socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers 7as defined in section #cee7;e7 of the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural ,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjjc7;e7772 and 7,h7 ,state and local government agencies4 7#d7 ,coordination ,in establishing the pilot program1 the ,secretary shall consult and ensure coordination with the heads of other appropriate ,federal agencies and programs that deliver nutrition education4 7#e7 ,project proposals 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall annually solicit from local educational agencies the submission of project proposals for grants under the pilot program4 7,b7 ,required elements for project proposal ,a project proposal submitted under subparagraph 7,a7 shall include-- 7i7 a statement of the purposes of the project2 7ii7 7,i7 the name of the entity or individual with overall responsibility for the project2 and 7,,ii7 a description of the qualifications of that entity or individual2 7iii7 a description of-- 7,i7 staffing and stakeholder engagement for the project2 7,,ii7 the logistics of the project2 and 7,,iii7 the methods to be used to evaluate student learning1 such as through a project1 presentation1 or other form of assessment2 7iv7 a proposed budget for the funds and time required to carry out the project2 7v7 information regarding the source and amount of any matching funding available for the project2 7vi7 an implementation plan1 including efforts by the school food authority associated with the local educational agency to integrate activities carried out under the project with other efforts by schools to promote student health and nutrition2 7vii7 information that demonstrates the clear potential of the project to contribute to implementing integrated1 hands-on food and nutrition education in schools with the goal of increasing acceptance and consumption of healthy1 high-quality meals and snacks2 and 7viii7 any other information that the ,secretary considers necessary4 7,c7 ,criteria for approval ,the ,secretary may award a grant for a project proposal submitted under subparagraph 7,a7 if the project-- 7i7 incorporates evidence-based practices proven to increase healthy food consumption by students2 7ii7 includes hands-on1 experiential learning2 7iii7 implements school gardens1 taste tests1 student engagement1 or other farm-to-school practices2 7iv7 identifies the commitment of the local educational agency-- 7,i7 to improve the nutritional value of school meals2 7,,ii7 to carry out innovative programs that improve the health and wellness of schoolchildren1 such as farm-to-school programs2 and 7,,iii7 to evaluate the outcome of the project2 and 7v7 meets any other requirement established by the ,secretary4 7,d7 ,priority ,to the maximum extent practicable1 in awarding grants under the pilot program1 the ,secretary shall give priority to projects that serve schools or districts-- 7i7 in which not less than #dj percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals under this ,act or the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agga et seq472 or 7ii7 that include neighborhoods with high rates of childhood obesity or other diet-related diseases4 7#f7 ,administration 7,a7 ,diversity ,in awarding grants under the pilot program1 the ,secretary shall ensure that projects are located in diverse demographic1 geographic1 rural1 urban1 and suburban settings4 7,b7 ,indian tribes ,the ,secretary shall ensure that not fewer than #a project receiving a grant under the pilot program-- 7i7 is located on an ,indian reservation2 or 7ii7 serves a school in which the majority of the students are members of an ,indian tribe4 7#g7 ,reports 7,a7 ,reports to ,secretary 7i7 ,in general ,a local educational agency that receives a grant under the pilot program shall periodically submit to the ,secretary a report that includes any information that the ,secretary determines is necessary to evaluate the progress and success of the project1 including evidence of student learning under the project1 to ensure positive results1 assess problems1 and foster improvements4 7ii7 ,availability to the public ,reports under clause 7i71 and any other documents of the local educational agency relating to a project carried out using a grant awarded under the pilot program1 shall be made available to the public in a timely manner4 7,b7 ,reports to ,congress ,not later than #e years after the date of enactment of this subsection1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report that includes-- 7i7 a description of the results and effectiveness of each project carried out under the pilot program2 7ii7 an examination of the impact of each project on-- 7,i7 student diet and dietary practices2 7,,ii7 student performance and behavior2 7,,iii7 food consumption2 7,,iv7 changes in cafeterias and the school food environment2 7,v7 school meal participation by students2 and 7,,vi7 other indicators as determined by the ,secretary2 7iii7 demographic data on the schools and communities served by the pilot program2 7iv7 a summary of the activities conducted by each local educational agency after receiving a grant under the pilot program2 and 7v7 recommendations on how the pilot program may be improved and whether funding for the pilot program should be continued4 7#h7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary to carry out this subsection #g1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjba through #bjbe4 4