Florida Impact, the state’s leading legislative public policy advocacy organization, has made passage of the Healthy Schools for Healthy Lives Act their highest legislative priority in this year’s legislative session. The Act transfers Florida’s school and summer nutrition programs from the Department of Education to the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

This move would expand access to locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables through school programs (meaning more access for children who come from Florida’s steadily growing number of struggling families that are unable to afford healthy eating options).

It would also bring a vigorous approach to implementing and managing federal child nutrition programs, enabling schools and summer meal providers to more effectively reach Florida’s students with the valuable lessons and practices of healthy eating. A link to a PDF of the detailed briefing paper prepared by Impact on the Act can be found here.

The Tallahassee Democrat recently published an editorial in support of the Act. You can access for viewing or downloading a PDF of the editorial here.

You can also add your voice to support the bill by signing up via Florida Impact’s advocacy link here.  And in the short term, you can also call Representative Bill Proctor, Chair of the House Education Committee, @ 850-488-2977 and urge him to place the House version of the Healthy Schools for Healthy Lives Act (HB7219) on the House Education Committee’s agenda for the week of April 11th!