appropriation; schools; community gardens

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide details about how schools should ensure safety or specific uses beyond building community gardens.

School Community Gardens Funding

This bill gives $500,000 from the state's money in fiscal year 2026-2027 to help schools build community gardens.

What This Bill Does

• Appropriates $500,000 from the state General Fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).
• The ADE will award grants to school districts and charter schools to build community gardens.

Who It Names or Affects

• Arizona Department of Education
• School districts in Arizona
• Charter schools in Arizona

Terms To Know

Community Gardens

Gardens where people from the community come together to grow plants and vegetables.

Grants

Money given by a government or organization for a specific purpose, like building gardens.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how schools should use the funds beyond building community gardens.
• It is unclear if there are limits on the number of grants each school can receive.

Official Summary Text

SB1598 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

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ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1598

appropriation;
schools; community gardens

Purpose

Appropriates
$500,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2027 to the Arizona
Department of Education (ADE) to award grants to school districts and charter
schools to build community gardens.

Background

The Department
of Health Services (DHS) School Garden Program offers free certification for
school and community gardens to ensure school grown produce is safe to eat and
ready to serve. The certification process includes: 1) a site visit; 2)
submission of soil samples; and 3) the composition of a food safety plan (
DHS
).

DHS provides a
guidance document, developed in conjunction with ADE, the Arizona Department of
Agriculture, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Community
Food Bank of Southern Arizona, for schools with recommended standards for
on-site gardens. The document includes recommendations relating to school
administrator responsibilities and the harvesting of produce (
DHS
).

S.B. 1598
appropriates $500,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADE.

Provisions

1.

Appropriates $500,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to ADE to award
grants to school districts and charter schools to build community gardens.

2.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 6, 2026

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Current Bill Text

SB1598 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

appropriation;
schools; community gardens

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1598

AN
ACT

appropriating monies to the department of
education.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Appropriation;
department of education; community gardens

The sum of $500,000 is appropriated
from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the department of
education to award grants pursuant to title 41, chapter 24, Arizona Revised
Statutes, to school districts and charter schools to build community gardens.