California School Procurement Policy

Strengths

• Establishes within the State Department of Education the California School Plant-Based Food and Beverage Program.
• Authorizes local educational agencies to apply for funding for reimbursement of up to $0.20 per meal for meals that include a plant-based food option or up to $0.10 per meal which would include a plant-based milk option. It requires the department to make additional one-time payments of up to $1,000, as specified, on a first-come-first-served basis to local educational agencies that receive meal reimbursement pursuant to the bill's provisions.
• Requires the department, upon a one-time appropriation by the Legislature, to provide grants of up to $100,000 to local educational agencies for additional purposes relating to the program.
• Requires the department to adopt regulations to implement the program, establish guidelines for the evaluation of the program, report evaluation results to the Legislature, and outreach.

Weaknesses