Bill Summary for H 67 (2023-2024)

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Summary date: 

Feb 7 2023

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
House Bill 67 (Public) Filed Tuesday, February 7, 2023
AN ACT TO PROMOTE MUSCADINE GRAPE JUICE USAGE IN THE STATE'S LEARNING INSTITUTIONS AND TO INCLUDE MUSCADINE GRAPE JUICE PRODUCERS AND OTHER FRUIT AND FRUIT PRODUCT PRODUCERS PARTICIPATING IN THE "GOT TO BE NC" MARKETING PROGRAM AS PARTICIPANTS IN THE FARM TO SCHOOL PURCHASING PROGRAM.
Intro. by Howard, Setzer, Dixon.

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Bill 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 schools for students with visual and hearing impairments operated under Article 9C of GS Chapter 115 as part of the school's nutrition program or through the school's vending facilities. Enacts GS 115C-264.5, GS 115C-218.75(k), GS 115C-238.66(19), and GS 116-239.8(b)(4)c. to charge local boards of education, charter schools, regional schools, and laboratory schools 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 2023-24 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 2023-24 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, 2023. 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. Requires DACS  to include in all agreements for packaged fruit products a requirement that the supplier will buyback from the Farm to School Program unopened and unexpired products returned to the Farm to School Program from school nutrition programs to be credited back to the school nutrition programs net of reasonable product handling costs. Directs DACS to provide an interim report by September 1, 2023, and a final report by January 1, 2024, to the specified NCGA committee and division.