SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 60

(By Senators Rucker, Stollings, Cline, Jeffries, Hardesty, and Romano)

[Introduced March 4, 2020]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the eating patterns of public school students when outside of school and the availability of nutritious food to public school students when schools are closed.

Whereas, The Feed to Achieve Initiative has successfully improved the availability and awareness for the need to provide nutritious food to state students, and the Shared Table Initiative has facilitated a spirit of innovation and consciousness in our counties to find alternative ways to feed children in need; and

Whereas, A periodic assessment of the needs for county students and availability of county resources is necessary to determine what type of resources are available and needed to reduce food insecurity for students when they are not in school; and

Whereas, That expansion of the Shared Table Initiative to include a program to encourage county schools to locate, participate in, and initiate programs to provide meals during summers and nonschool-day times when some children may not have access to healthy meals could assist in reducing food insecurity for thousands of children in this state; and

Whereas, Creating a mechanism that is not a directive from the Legislature upon county school boards, but rather an authorization to use school resources to find innovative ways, within the means of the county school systems, to assist the communities they serve, will provide a public benefit; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the eating patterns of public school students when outside of school and the availability of nutritious food to public school students when schools are closed; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance enlist the assistance of the West Virginia Office of Child Nutrition to assist and facilitate the study; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance investigate the efficacy of requiring county boards of education to collect and compile information regarding availability of food resources in the county during nonschool days and distribute this information to all students; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance investigate whether county boards of education should be required to investigate and implement any program that may facilitate an initiative to provide nutritious food to students, including but not limited to, entrepreneurships programs to foster innovation in providing assistance, utilizing participation in programs as a positive discipline option, and creating mentorship programs or other opportunities to participate in nonschool student feeding programs; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance investigate the efficacy of requiring county school boards to conduct an annual countywide or a coordinated regional training opportunity, with assistance from the West Virginia Office of Child Nutrition, that ensures that any entity that qualifies as a summer or nonschool-day feeding site is afforded the opportunity to receive training on operation of a feeding site; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2021, on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report, and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.