MS Farm & Food Security Act of 2026; create.

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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Creekmore IV, Hulum

HOUSE BILL NO. 1367

AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE MISSISSIPPI FARM AND FOOD SECURITY 1
ACT OF 2026; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-13-131 THROUGH 37-13-137, 2
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDE FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE 3
SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM, TO ENHANCE NUTRITION EDUCATION 4
AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS; TO CREATE NEW SECTION 43-1-42, 5
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI FARM TO 6
FOOD BANK PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE PROCUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF 7
LOCAL FOODS BY MISSISSIPPI FOOD BANKS; TO AMEND SECTION 69-1-353, 8
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS; TO 9
CREATE NEW SECTION 69-1-355, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 10
ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI FARM, FOOD, AND NUTRITION COMMISSION TO 11
BETTER FACILITATE THE PROCUREMENT, PURCHASE AND USE OF LOCALLY 12
GROWN AND LOCALLY RAISED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS THROUGHOUT THE 13
STATE, TO SUPPORT THE STATE ECONOMY BY BROADENING MARKET 14
OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL FARMERS AND PRODUCERS, AND TO INCREASE 15
AVAILABILITY OF LOCALLY GROWN OR RAISED FRESH FRUITS AND 16
VEGETABLES AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS; TO AMEND SECTION 73-25-14, 17
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION 18
RELATING TO NUTRITION AND METABOLIC HEALTH FOR RENEWAL OF 19
PHYSICIANS' LICENSES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 20
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 21
SECTION 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be 22
cited as the "Mississippi Farm and Food Security Act of 2026." 23
SECTION 2. Purpose. Notwithstanding any general or specific 24
laws to the contrary, it is the intent of the Legislature for the 25
State of Mississippi to enhance its nutrition programs and food 26
systems through stakeholder collaboration and interagency 27
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coordination to expand economic opportunities for Mississippi 28
farmers and ranchers and improve population health outcomes. 29
SECTION 3. Section 37-13-131, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 30
amended as follows: 31
37-13-131. (1) The State Department of Education is 32
designated as the state agency responsible for the administration 33
and supervision of the Comprehensive School Health and Nutrition 34
Education Program as an educational curriculum in the State of 35
Mississippi. It is the intent of the Legislature that all funds 36
made available to the State Department of Education for the 37
purpose of comprehensive school health and nutrition education 38
shall be administered by the State Department of Education. 39
(2) Pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1) of this 40
section, the State Department of Education is authorized to 41
establish an Office of Comprehensive School Health and Nutrition 42
Education within the framework of the State Department of 43
Education for the purpose of developing standards, procedures and 44
criteria for the administration and supervision of a statewide 45
program of health and nutrition education in Kindergarten through 46
Grade 12. The State Department of Education, through the Office 47
of Comprehensive School Health and Nutrition Education, shall 48
assume the further responsibility for promoting a statewide effort 49
designed to prepare local school faculties and staffs to 50
incorporate the comprehensive health and nutrition education 51
concept into their local educational programs. 52
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(3) The Mississippi Department of Health, in conjunction 53
with the Office of Student Development-Branch of Health-Related 54
Services of the State Department of Education, shall develop a 55
long-range strategic plan for a Comprehensive School Health and 56
Nutrition Education Program in Grades K through 12. The 57
Comprehensive School Health and Nutrition Education Program shall 58
encompass four (4) interdependent components: (a) health and 59
nutrition education; (b) health service; (c) physical education 60
and fitness; and (d) a healthful school environment. These 61
curriculum components shall be designed to develop decision-making 62
competencies related to health and health behavior. Such 63
curriculum components are intended to motivate health maintenance 64
and promote wellness, not only to prevent disease or disability. 65
The Mississippi Department of Health, in conjunction with the 66
Office of Student Development-Branch of Health-Related Services of 67
the Department of Education and the Mississippi Farm, Food and 68
Nutrition Commission established in Section 69-1-355, shall 69
develop * * * an updated strategic plan and make a report thereon 70
to the Governor and the Legislature on or before January 1, * * * 71
2027. 72
SECTION 4. Section 37-13-133, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 73
amended as follows: 74
37-13-133. Under the provisions of Section 37-13-131, the 75
State Department of Education may provide for the services of a 76
School Health Services Coordinator, School Instruction 77
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Coordinator, School Environmental Specialist, and such other 78
professional and nonprofessional staff as may be needed and as 79
available funds * * *, including, but not limited, to the Rural 80
Health Transformation Fund, Public Law No. 119-21, to the 81
department will permit. The State Department of Education, 82
subject to the availability of funds specifically for such 83
purpose, shall employ a physical activity coordinator K-12 not 84
later than sixty (60) days after receipt of such funds, in 85
accordance with the provisions of Section 37-13-134. It shall be 86
the responsibility of that professional staff to coordinate 87
efforts of the personnel of the State Department of Education, the 88
state's colleges and universities, local public schools and other 89
appropriate agencies to collaborate with the Mississippi Farm, 90
Food and Nutrition Commission established in Section 69-1-355 and 91
provide * * * a comprehensive health and nutrition education 92
curriculum that is based on the most recent scientific principles 93
regarding good human health and nutrition. 94
SECTION 5. Section 37-13-134, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 95
amended as follows: 96
37-13-134. (1) The Legislature recognizes that there is a 97
problem with Mississippi * * * students' health and overall 98
wellness, and therefore requires the following guidelines for 99
school district physical education, health and nutrition 100
education, and physical activity and fitness classes: 101
(a) Kindergarten through Grade 8: * * * 102
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(i) Thirty (30) minutes of moderate or vigorous 103
physical activity-based instruction daily; or 104
(ii) One hundred fifty (150) minutes of physical 105
activity-based instruction weekly; or 106
(iii) Two hundred twenty-five (225) minutes of 107
physical activity-based instruction every two (2) weeks under 108
block scheduling; and 109
(iv) Forty-five (45) minutes per week of health 110
and nutrition education instruction, as defined by the State Board 111
of Education and in consultation with the Mississippi Farm, Food 112
and Nutrition Commission established in 69-1-355, that shall 113
include, but not be limited to, the curriculum provided through 114
the Team Nutrition Initiative of the United States Department of 115
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). 116
(b) Grades 9 through 12: 117
(i) One-half (1/2) Carnegie unit requirement in 118
physical education or physical activity for graduation * * *; and 119
(ii) One-half (1/2) Carnegie unit requirement of 120
health and nutrition education for graduation, as defined by the 121
State Board of Education, that shall include, but not be limited 122
to: 123
1. Health literacy; 124
2. Public health concepts; 125
3. Culinary skills; 126
4. Nutrition and metabolic health; 127
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5. Local food systems; 128
6. Consumer awareness; 129
7. Best-practices for agricultural 130
production; and 131
8. The Child and Youth Prevalence of Obesity 132
Survey (CAYPOS). 133
(iii) Beginning with the 2015-2016 Ninth Grade 134
class, an instructional component on the proper administration of 135
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated 136
external defibrillator (AED) shall be included as part of the 137
physical education or health and nutrition education curriculum. 138
The curricula shall incorporate into the instruction the 139
psychomotor skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary 140
resuscitation and use of an automated external defibrillator as 141
follows: 142
* * *1. An instructional program developed 143
by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross; 144
* * *2. An instructional program which is 145
nationally recognized and is based on the most current national 146
evidence-based Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines for 147
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external 148
defibrillator; 149
* * *3. A licensed teacher shall not be 150
required to be a certified trainer of cardiopulmonary 151
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resuscitation, to facilitate, provide or oversee such instruction 152
for noncertification; and 153
* * *4. Courses which result in a 154
certification being earned must be taught by an authorized CPR/AED 155
instructor. 156
For purposes of this paragraph (b)(iii), the term 157
"psychomotor skills" means the use of hands-on practicing to 158
support cognitive learning. Cognitive-only training does not 159
qualify as "psychomotor skills." 160
The requirements of this paragraph (b) shall be minimum 161
requirements. Any local school district shall be authorized to 162
offer CPR and AED instruction for longer periods of time than 163
required herein, and may enhance the curriculum and training 164
components. 165
(c) The State Department of Education shall develop 166
guidance on nutrition standards for Kindergarten through Grades 8 167
based on and in compliance with federal standards and 168
recommendations, and shall be developed in consultation with the 169
Mississippi Farm, Food and Nutrition Commission. 170
(d) Except for disciplinary action involving the 171
alternative school program, suspension, or expulsion, student 172
participation in physical activity-based instruction or activities 173
shall not be denied or withheld for disciplinary purposes. 174
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( * * *e) The State Department of Education shall 175
establish a procedure for monitoring adherence by school boards to 176
the requirements set forth in this section. 177
All instruction * * * must be based on the most current state 178
standards provided by the State Department of Education and shall 179
prioritize structured physical education, health and nutrition 180
education and physical activity that are in alignment with the 181
principles, metrics, and goals of the Presidential Fitness Test 182
with consideration for medical status and health outcomes. 183
(2) Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, each local 184
school board shall, consistent with regulations adopted by the 185
State Board of Education, adopt a school wellness plan which shall 186
promote a healthy lifestyle for Mississippi's school children and 187
staff. Beginning with the * * * 2026-2027 school year, the school 188
wellness plan shall also promote increased physical activity, 189
greater access to nutritious foods and community resources, 190
healthy eating habits and abstinence from the use of tobacco and 191
illegal drugs through programs that incorporate healthy lifestyle 192
choices into core subject areas which may be developed in 193
partnership with the Institute for America's Health. 194
(3) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the State 195
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Department of 196
Health, shall have the authority to establish a school health 197
pilot program to improve student health so that all students can 198
fully participate and be successful in school. The school health 199
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pilot program shall be implemented in local school districts, as 200
provided in Section 37-13-134.1. 201
(4) The Legislature shall appropriate sufficient 202
state-source funds for the State Department of Education to employ 203
a physical activity coordinator to assist districts on current and 204
effective practices and on implementation of physical education 205
and physical activity programs. 206
(5) The physical activity coordinator employed under Section 207
37-13-133 must have the qualifications prescribed in any of the 208
following paragraphs, which are listed in the order of preference: 209
(a) A doctorate in physical education, exercise science 210
or a highly related field, and at least three (3) years of 211
experience in teaching physical education in Grades K-12 or in 212
physical activity promotion/fitness leadership; or 213
(b) A master's degree in physical education, exercise 214
science or a highly related field, and at least five (5) years of 215
experience in teaching physical education in Grades K-12 or in 216
physical activity promotion/fitness leadership; or 217
(c) A bachelor's degree in physical education, a 218
teacher's license, and at least seven (7) years of experience in 219
teaching physical education in Grades K-12 or in physical activity 220
promotion/fitness leadership. 221
(6) The Governor's Commission on Physical Fitness and Sports 222
created under Section 7-1-551 et seq., the Mississippi Council on 223
Obesity Prevention and Management created under Section 41-101-1 224
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et seq., the Task Force on Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention 225
created under Section 41-103-1 et seq., the Mississippi Alliance 226
for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and the 227
Mississippi Alliance for School Health shall provide 228
recommendations to the State Department of Education regarding the 229
employment of the physical activity coordinator. The department 230
shall consider the recommendations of those entities in employing 231
the physical activity coordinator. 232
(7) The Mississippi Farm, Food and Nutrition Commission may 233
provide resources, recommendations and strategic planning for 234
implementing the health and nutrition education curriculum to the 235
State Department of Education, Office of Healthy Schools and 236
Office of Child Nutrition. Resources may include, but not be 237
limited to, the Child and Youth Prevalence of Obesity Survey 238
(CAYPOS) and any other data and information regarding population 239
health outcomes that are geographically relevant to the school or 240
school district. 241
( * * *8) The physical activity coordinator shall present a 242
state physical activity plan each year to the Governor's 243
Commission on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Mississippi Council 244
on Obesity Prevention and Management, the Task Force on Heart 245
Disease and Stroke Prevention, the Mississippi Alliance for 246
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and the 247
Mississippi Alliance for School Health. 248
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(9) The State Department of Education, Office of Healthy 249
Schools and Office of Child Nutrition shall report implementation 250
plans and progress reports each year to the Mississippi Farm, Food 251
and Nutrition Commission and to the chair of the Public Health and 252
Human Service Committee of the House of Representatives and the 253
chair of the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate to 254
support and ensure proper implementation and sustainability of 255
school health policies and standards. 256
( * * *10) The physical activity coordinator shall monitor 257
the districts for adherence to current Mississippi school 258
accountability standards and for implementation of the physical 259
education curriculum on file with the State Department of 260
Education. The State Department of Education shall monitor and 261
act as a clearinghouse for the activities of the local school 262
health councils established pursuant to subsection * * *(11) of 263
this section. 264
( * * *11) (a) The local school board of each school 265
district shall establish a local school health council for each 266
school which shall ensure that local community values are 267
reflected in the local school's wellness plan to address * * * 268
student health and well being. Such councils shall be established 269
no later than November 1, 2006. 270
(b) The local school health council's duties shall 271
include, but not be limited to, the following: 272
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(i) * * * Recommending age-appropriate curriculum 273
and the number of hours of instruction to be provided in health 274
and nutrition education, and supporting the adoption of the 275
Mississippi Department of Education's "Move to Learn" Program for 276
physical activity-based education, provided that the number of 277
hours shall not be less than that required by this section; 278
(ii) * * * Recommending appropriate practices for 279
instruction that include a coordinated approach to school health 280
and nutrition designed to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease, 281
Type II diabetes and other health risks, through coordination of: 282
1. Health education; 283
2. Physical education; 284
3. Nutritional services; 285
4. Parental/Community involvement; 286
5. Instruction to prevent the use of tobacco, 287
drugs and alcohol; 288
6. Physical activity; 289
7. Health services; 290
8. Healthy environment; 291
9. Counseling and psychological services; 292
10. Healthy lifestyles; and 293
11. Staff wellness. 294
(iii) * * * Providing guidance on the development 295
and implementation of the local school wellness plan to the local 296
school boards and the State Department of Education. 297
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(c) The local school board shall * * * provide 298
recommendations for members * * * of the local school health 299
council * * *, and may appoint one (1) person from each of the 300
following groups: 301
(i) Parents who are not employed by the school 302
district; 303
(ii) The director of local school food services; 304
(iii) Public schoolteachers; 305
(iv) Public school administrators; 306
(v) District students; 307
(vi) Health care professionals; 308
(vii) The business community; 309
(viii) Law enforcement certified in Mental Health 310
First Aid; 311
(ix) Senior citizens; 312
(x) * * * Faith-based organizations; 313
(xi) Nonprofit health organizations; and 314
(xii) * * * Local farmers' markets or food support 315
organization(s). 316
( * * *12) Nothing in this section shall be construed to 317
prohibit or limit the sale or distribution of any food or beverage 318
item through fund-raisers conducted by students, teachers, school 319
groups, or parent groups when the items are intended for sale off 320
the school campus. 321
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SECTION 6. Section 37-13-134.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 322
amended as follows: 323
37-13-134.1. (1) Subject to available funding, including, 324
but not limited to, funds from the Rural Health Transformation 325
Fund, Public Law No. 119-21, the State Department of Education, in 326
consultation with the State Department of Health and the 327
Mississippi Farm, Food and Nutrition Commission established in 328
Section 69-1-355,* * * may establish the school health grant pilot 329
program to improve student health by assisting local school 330
districts in * * * the development and implementation of a 331
five-year strategic plan for the establishment of local school 332
wellness plans and any other components of the school health and 333
nutrition program. In order to qualify for a school health grant, 334
a school district shall submit a detailed implementation plan, 335
developed in accordance with the guidelines for a school health 336
program developed by the State Department of Education, and 337
including the following components: 338
(a) A dedicated school health coordinator and technical 339
and administrative support for collection of data and program 340
evaluation. 341
(b) A description of how the school district currently 342
addresses physical activity, nutrition, and other obesity 343
prevention measures. 344
(c) A description of how the agency would use the state 345
grant to augment what it is currently doing, including defining 346
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priorities based on the students' health need and meeting 347
education performance indicators, developing an action plan for 348
addressing those needs based on realistic goals and measurable 349
objectives, establishing a timeline for implementation, and 350
developing and maintaining a system to evaluate progress and 351
outcomes for the program. 352
(d) All school districts receiving grants will report 353
annually to the State Department of Education progress towards the 354
achievement of state education performance indicators and 355
standards and requirements relating to physical activity and 356
nutrition. 357
(2) The amount in the coordinated school health grant pilot 358
program shall be limited to the amount appropriated and shall be 359
available to school districts based on the guidelines developed by 360
the State Department of Education. 361
(3) Any grants made to school district shall be expended to 362
supplement and not supplant any funds already expended as school 363
health programs. For this purpose, expenditures of components 364
enumerated in subsection (2) of this section for the current 365
fiscal year shall be considered the base expenditure on school 366
health and any school district receiving grant funds shall 367
maintain this base. 368
(4) There is created in the State Treasury a fund into which 369
any public or private funds from any source shall be deposited for 370
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the support of the activities of coordinated school health grant 371
pilot program. 372
(5) State grants are only for coordination and improvement 373
of school health programs to improve student health in accordance 374
with the detailed plan submitted in accordance with subsection (2) 375
of this section. 376
(6) The State Department of Education and the State 377
Department of Health shall coordinate existing school health 378
programs, grants and initiatives. To the extent possible, 379
interagency support, existing contracts and waiver requirements 380
and funding, including, but not limited to, Medicaid funding or 381
funds from the Rural Health Transformation Fund, Public Law No. 382
119-21, shall also be coordinated. 383
(7) The use of grant funds shall be subject to audit by the 384
Office of the State Auditor. 385
SECTION 7. Section 37-13-135, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 386
amended as follows: 387
37-13-135. (1) In addition to all other authority, duties 388
and powers the school boards of the school districts of this state 389
may now have, each is authorized and empowered to adopt plans for 390
the implementation of the updated Comprehensive School Health and 391
Nutrition Education Program into the local school curriculum. 392
(2) School boards shall appoint a local health education 393
council to make recommendations regarding a comprehensive health 394
and nutrition education curriculum, and shall report those 395
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recommendations and its progress toward implementation to the 396
State Department of Education and the Mississippi Farm, Food and 397
Nutrition Commission established in 69-1-355. 398
(3) There shall be cooperation between the State Department 399
of Education, * * * Office of Child Nutrition and Office of 400
Healthy Schools, any relevant agency, office or program of the 401
state, and the school boards of the several school districts in 402
implementing this program as it best suits the needs of the 403
individual districts. 404
(4) The Commission on School Accreditation shall encourage 405
the development of plans of comprehensive school health and 406
nutrition education and the implementation thereof. 407
SECTION 8. Section 37-13-137, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 408
amended as follows: 409
37-13-137. (1) For the purposes of this section, the 410
following terms shall be defined as provided in this subsection: 411
(a) "Household meal application" means an application 412
for a child of a household to receive free or reduced price school 413
lunches as defined in 42 USC Section 1758. 414
(b) "Enrolled student" means a student who is enrolled 415
in and attending schools participating in the community 416
eligibility provision and who has access to at least one (1) meal 417
service (breakfast or lunch) daily. 418
(c) "Identified student" means: 419
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(i) Any student with access to at least one (1) 420
meal service who are not subject to verification as prescribed in 421
7 CFR Section 245.6a(c)(2); 422
(ii) Any student who is directly certified for 423
free meals based on the student's participation in the 424
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary 425
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or based on Medicaid income 426
data; or 427
(iii) Any homeless, runaway or migrant school-aged 428
individual, Head Start student, or foster child, who is approved 429
as categorically eligible for free meals by means other than an 430
individual household meal application. 431
(d) "Identified student percentage" means a percentage 432
determined by dividing the number of identified students as of a 433
specified period of time by the number of enrolled students as of 434
the same period of time and multiplying the quotient by one 435
hundred (100). With assistance from the State Department of 436
Education, the identified student percentage may be calculated for 437
and determined by an individual participating school, a group of 438
participating schools in the local educational agency, or in the 439
aggregate for the entire local educational agency if all schools 440
participate, following procedures established in United States 441
Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 442
guidance. 443
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(e) "Sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs)" is defined as 444
any nonalcoholic beverage, whether carbonated or noncarbonated, 445
sold for human consumption that contains any added sugar. SSBs as 446
defined in this paragraph shall not include the following: 447
(i) Beverages in which milk is the primary 448
ingredient or the first listed ingredient on the label of the 449
beverage, or soy, rice or similar milk substitute. For the 450
purpose of this paragraph, "milk" means natural liquid milk 451
regardless of animal or plant source or butterfat content; natural 452
milk concentrate, whether or not reconstituted; or dehydrated 453
natural milk, whether or not reconstituted; 454
(ii) One hundred percent (100%) juice or one 455
hundred percent (100%) juice plus water, including those made from 456
frozen, freeze-dried or concentrate with no added sugars; 457
(iii) Beverages with less than five (5) grams of 458
added sugar or other caloric sweeteners per eight (8) ounces; 459
(iv) Infant formula; or 460
(v) Medically necessary foods and beverages. 461
(2) In collaboration with the Mississippi Farm, Food and 462
Nutrition Commission, the State Board of Education shall adopt 463
regulations for the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors and 464
consumption of nutritious foods as provided in this section not 465
later than * * * July 1, 2027, which shall be effective for 466
compliance by school districts beginning with the * * * 2027-2028 467
school year, for the * * * National School Lunch Program and 468
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School Breakfast Program that are not in conflict with the 469
regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 470
The regulations shall take into account the most recent and 471
advanced scientific principles regarding good human health, * * * 472
nutrition and well-being, and the * * * intent of the 473
regulations * * * shall be that the * * * health, nutrition, 474
well-being and fitness of Mississippi school children shall be 475
advanced and that long-term health outcomes are improved. The 476
regulations shall take into consideration recommendations provided 477
by the Mississippi Farm, Food and Nutrition Commission and 478
include, but not be limited to, the following subject areas: 479
(a) Healthy food and beverage choices; 480
(b) Limitations on the consumption of sugar-sweetened 481
beverages (SSBs); 482
(c) Ensuring that food and beverages sold to students 483
on school property during the school day are "Smart Snack" 484
compliant; 485
(d) Restricting the use of synthetic food dyes and 486
additives in meals prepared for the National School Lunch Program 487
and School Breakfast Program, including, but not limited to, the 488
following: 489
(i) Blue 1 (CAS 3844-45-9); 490
(ii) Blue 2 (CAS 860-22-0); 491
(iii) Green 3 (CAS 2353-45-9); 492
(iv) Red 40 (CAS 25956-17-6); 493
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(v) Yellow 5 (CAS 1934-21-0); 494
(vi) Yellow 6 (CAS 2783-94-0); 495
(vii) Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA); 496
(viii) Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT); 497
(ix) Titanium dioxide (CAS 13463-67-7); 498
(x) Propylparaben; 499
(xi) Potassium bromate; 500
( * * *e) Healthy food preparation; 501
( * * *f) Marketing and promotion of healthy food 502
choices to students, * * * staff and communities; 503
( * * *g) Food preparation ingredients and products; 504
( * * *h) * * * Recommendations for, and potential 505
alternative solutions for providing a minimum of twenty (20) 506
minutes of seat time during lunch and breakfast periods for 507
students and staff; 508
( * * *i) The availability of locally produced and 509
procured food items during the lunch and breakfast periods of 510
the * * * National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast 511
Program; and 512
( * * *j) Methods to increase participation in 513
the * * * National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast 514
Program. 515
( * * *3) The Office of Healthy Schools and the Office of 516
Child Nutrition of the State Department of Education shall provide 517
comprehensive training for superintendents, business managers, 518
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food service directors and food service managers of a local school 519
district, or the designees appointed by those individuals for 520
training purposes, as required by the department on marketing 521
healthy foods, creating a healthy cafeteria environment, effective 522
and efficient food service operations, the standards and 523
expectations of food service staff, and other topics as identified 524
by the department. The department may determine the time and 525
location of the trainings and the frequency with which they are 526
held. Persons employed by a local school district having the 527
certification as a Food Service Administrator III or IV shall be 528
exempt from the training requirements of this subsection. 529
* * * 530
(4) Each public school district annually shall identify the 531
number of its students who live in poverty in order to increase 532
access to free school breakfasts and lunches for such students. 533
The State Department of Education may calculate and provide this 534
number to public school districts and is to be based on the United 535
States Department of Agriculture's Form FNS-10: Report on School 536
Program Operations or any other information that is collected for 537
the purposes of federal data reporting. For the purpose of this 538
subsection, "students who live in poverty" means students who: 539
(a) Qualify for Medicaid benefits; 540
(b) Qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 541
Program (SNAP) benefits; 542
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(c) Qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 543
(TANF) benefits; or 544
(d) Are homeless, transient, or in foster care. 545
(5) The local board of trustees of a district in which all 546
schools are eligible to receive the free federal reimbursement 547
rate for all reimbursable school breakfasts and lunches served, 548
pursuant to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in 42 USC 549
Section 1759(a), shall adopt a resolution indicating its degree of 550
participation, if any, in CEP. If a district is unable to 551
participate in CEP because participation would cause a financial 552
hardship, its board shall adopt a resolution stating that it is 553
unable to participate in CEP and demonstrate the financial 554
hardship. The resolution must be published on a public meeting 555
agenda concurrently with the proposed district budget as an action 556
item. A majority of the board members is required to approve any 557
resolution under this subsection. The requirements of this 558
subsection shall be suspended if CEP is suspended or discontinued 559
by federal action. 560
(6) A district shall ensure that the parents or guardians of 561
students eligible for free and reduced lunch receive the necessary 562
applications and instructions and, upon request, are provided with 563
assistance in completing the paperwork. If a student is unable to 564
pay for a meal the student's district or school may not publicly 565
identify or penalize the student in any way including, but not 566
limited to, denying meals, serving alternative meals, discarding 567
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meals after serving them to the student, requiring chores or work 568
in exchange for meals, prohibiting participation in 569
extracurricular activities, denying participation in graduation, 570
withholding diplomas, or refusing transcript requests. 571
Communications from the district or school regarding any meal debt 572
owed only may be directed to the parent or guardian of the student 573
and may be sent home through the student. Such resolutions shall 574
be submitted on an annual basis to the State Department of 575
Education and the Mississippi Farm, Food and Nutrition Commission. 576
(7) Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule or regulation 577
to the contrary, each school board that governs a local school or 578
school district that contains any public elementary or secondary 579
school that had an identified student percentage of twenty-five 580
percent (25%) or greater for the 2025-2026 school year and is 581
participating, or opts to participate, in the Community 582
Eligibility Provision (CEP) administered by the United States 583
Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) shall 584
be reimbursed by the State Department of Education as follows: 585
For each breakfast and lunch meal that is served at a school 586
participating in the federal community eligibility provision 587
program and that is reimbursed at the federal reimbursement rate 588
for a paid meal, the department shall reimburse the school food 589
authority the difference between (a) the combined state and 590
federal reimbursement rate for a paid meal for the current school 591
year and (b) the combined state and federal reimbursement rate for 592
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a free meal for the current school year, provided that the total 593
reimbursement rate for each meal served shall equal the combined 594
state and federal reimbursement rate for a free meal for the 595
current school year. 596
(8) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit 597
any school board from grouping elementary or secondary schools in 598
the local school division and applying to FNS to participate in 599
CEP for such group of schools. 600
(9) The State Superintendent of Public Education shall issue 601
a waiver to the requirements set forth in subsections (5), (6) and 602
(7) of this section in the sole circumstance that an evaluation of 603
a school or group of schools that is eligible to participate in 604
CEP determines that participation in CEP is not financially viable 605
to such school or group of schools. The State Department of 606
Education shall develop a process and criteria for considering 607
such waivers, including a process and criteria for conducting such 608
CEP evaluations. Recommendations for the development of such 609
policies and criteria may be requested of or provided by the 610
Mississippi Farm, Food Nutrition Commission. 611
SECTION 9. The following shall be codified as Section 612
43-1-42, Mississippi Code of 1972: 613
43-1-42. (1) For the purposes of this section, the 614
following terms shall be defined as provided in this subsection: 615
(a) "Agricultural entity" means a grower, producer, or 616
processor of farm or dairy products, meat, poultry, fruits and 617
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agricultural or aquacultural products that are grown, raised, 618
harvested, or processed in Mississippi. 619
(b) "Commission" means the Mississippi Farm, Food and 620
Nutrition Commission established in Section 69-1-355. 621
(c) "Department" means the Department of Agriculture 622
and Commerce. 623
(d) "Food bank" or "regional food bank" means the 624
Mississippi Food Bank Collaborative and the three (3) Feeding 625
America partner food banks that serve Mississippi, including 626
Feeding the Gulf Coast, Mid-South Food Bank, and Mississippi Food 627
Network, which are nonprofit organizations that solicit, warehouse 628
and redistribute eligible food to agencies in Mississippi that 629
feed families and individuals who qualify based on federal 630
guidelines. 631
(e) "Local producer" means a producer that is 632
certified, or has otherwise met all applicable state and federal 633
requirements to be authorized to sell certified agricultural 634
products, produced by practice of the agricultural arts upon land 635
that the certified producer controls, directly to the public or to 636
individuals, organizations or entities that subsequently sell or 637
distribute the products directly to end users, at a certified 638
farmers' market, or an outlet or location. 639
(f) "Program" means the Mississippi Farm to Food Bank 640
Program. 641
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(g) "Program participant" means a food bank that 642
receives food under the Mississippi Farm to Food Bank Program to 643
distribute to food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, 644
or other feeding programs that provide meals or food to needy 645
persons. 646
(2) A program to help expand the availability of nutritious, 647
locally grown, raised or processed foods for Mississippi's food 648
banks and emergency food systems, known as Mississippi Farm to 649
Food Bank Program, is established within the Department of 650
Agriculture and Commerce, and shall be implemented by the 651
department on or before July 1, 2026. Subject to available 652
funding, including, but not limited to, the Rural Health 653
Transformation Fund, Public Law No. 119-21, the program shall 654
allocate funds for program participants to: 655
(a) Acquire and distribute agricultural products from 656
Mississippi agricultural entities, local producers, or aggregators 657
to Mississippi's food banks and emergency food systems; and 658
(b) Improve capacity of the food banks and emergency 659
food systems to allow for the proper transportation, storage, or 660
distribution of local agricultural or aquacultural products to 661
underserved areas. 662
(3) The program shall target fruits, vegetables, meat and 663
poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs produced raised in the State of 664
Mississippi, and shall include surplus, seconds, or market-grade 665
quality levels and must be safe for consumption. 666
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(4) The program, subject to annual funding, including, but 667
not limited to, the Rural Health Transformation Fund, Public Law 668
No. 119-21, shall dedicate not less than seventy-five percent 669
(75%) of available funds to acquisition and distribution of food, 670
and twenty-five percent (25%) of available funds to food pantry 671
support grants for capacity-building and technical assistance, to 672
be administered by the program participant. 673
(5) (a) The department shall collaborate and engage with 674
the Mississippi Food Bank Collaborative to administer the program. 675
The Mississippi Food Bank Collaborative shall be the administering 676
entity of the program, and shall have statewide reach and 677
represent multiple food banks that source and distribute food to 678
Mississippi food pantries and soup kitchens under the same 679
authorities and standards as required by state and federal law. 680
(b) The duties of the Mississippi Food Bank 681
Collaborative shall include, but are not limited to: 682
(i) Development of a strategic plan outlining 683
anticipated needs, outreach efforts, potential challenges, and any 684
changes that may affect the program from year to year; 685
(ii) Issuing an annual report that summarizes the 686
activity from the prior year, including meeting the 687
capacity-building and goals of the program; 688
(iii) Identifying program participants and their 689
food needs; 690
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(iv) Building relationships with Mississippi 691
agricultural and aquacultural entities, local producers, or 692
aggregators that address those needs, with priority for small- and 693
mid-size producers; 694
(v) Coordinating the acquisition and distribution 695
of agricultural products and commodities to food pantries; and 696
(vi) Distributing food pantry, support for 697
capacity building and technical assistance grants. 698
(c) The department and the commission may provide 699
support to the program through the following activities: 700
(i) Facilitating relationship-building and 701
partnerships between the Mississippi agricultural sector and the 702
administering entity; 703
(ii) Approving of a proposed annual budget by the 704
administering entity; 705
(iii) Reviewing and providing feedback on the 706
administering entity's annual plans and annual reports; 707
(iv) Promoting the program; and 708
(v) Providing feedback or recommendations as 709
needed to the administering entity. 710
(6) Funding from the program shall be dependent on program 711
participants meeting the following requirements: 712
(a) Program participants must distribute food to food 713
pantries and maintain the infrastructure to accept, store, and 714
distribute foods through the emergency food system in compliance 715
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with federal, state, or local health and food safety requirements 716
and with the capacity to serve significant geographic areas within 717
Mississippi. 718
(b) Food purchases made through the use of program 719
funds must be sourced directly from an agricultural entity, local 720
producer, or via Mississippi-based aggregators as long as such 721
foods meet program requirements, and shall be made in accordance 722
with the following standards: 723
(i) Food shall be purchased at fair market value, 724
competitive bid prices, or wholesale prices; 725
(ii) All food distributed under the program must 726
be distributed within the State of Mississippi, regardless of the 727
service area of the program participant; 728
(iii) Program participants shall not charge any 729
person or entity who is eligible under the program to receive food 730
or encourage any eligible person to contribute money in order to 731
receive food under the program. 732
(iv) Funds for food and food provided through this 733
program shall be used to supplement and not replace funds for food 734
or food provided through the United States Department of 735
Agriculture's federal commodities program. 736
(7) Subject to available funding, including, but not limited 737
to, funds from the Rural Health Transformation Fund, Public Law 738
No. 119-21, the program shall allocate funds to the regional food 739
banks based on population, food insecurity rates, and county 740
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service areas on an annual basis. The department, in 741
collaboration with the Mississippi Food Bank Collaborative, shall 742
develop the funding formula for each nonprofit food bank. 743
Recommendations for such funding formula may be requested from or 744
provided by the commission. 745
(8) The program shall distribute food pantry support grants 746
for facility upgrades, equipment, or other investments necessary 747
to support the objectives of the program and allow for the proper 748
pickup, storage, or processing of agricultural products that 749
expand the ability of Mississippi's food banks and emergency food 750
systems to access these products and better reach underserved 751
areas and underserved populations. The application process and 752
awarding of funds shall be established by the department and the 753
Mississippi Food Bank Collaborative. Recommendations for such 754
processes may be requested from or provided by the commission. 755
(9) The department, in collaboration with the commission, 756
shall adopt rules to implement the program. These rules shall 757
include, but not be limited to, the following: 758
(a) Eligible costs related to acquisition and 759
distribution of food, including, but not limited to, picking, 760
packing, processing, and transportation; 761
(b) Health and safety requirements for program 762
participants, farmers, and transportation; 763
(c) Food quality standards; 764
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(d) Program requirements for the food pantry support 765
grant program, including eligibility, allowable expenses, and 766
reporting; 767
(e) Contracting requirements and purchasing options; 768
(f) Goals, preferences, and incentives to promote 769
small- and mid-size producers in the farm industry; 770
(g) Data collection, evaluation, and annual plan and 771
reporting requirements; and 772
(h) Any other rules necessary to implement the program. 773
(10) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2028. 774
SECTION 10. Section 69-1-353, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 775
amended as follows: 776
69-1-353. For purposes of this section and * * * Section 777
69-1-355, the following terms shall have the meanings * * * as 778
defined in this section unless the context clearly indicates 779
otherwise: 780
(a) " * * * Commission" means the * * * Mississippi 781
Farm, Food and Nutrition Commission established in Section 782
69-1-355. 783
(b) "Farm to school program" means any commercial 784
relationship where * * * any pre-K or Grades K-12 school purchases 785
locally grown or locally raised agricultural products to serve in 786
school meals and can include educational programs for students on 787
local agriculture and nutrition * * *. 788
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(c) "Locally grown or locally raised agricultural 789
products" means any food products grown or raised on Mississippi 790
farms or gardens, and includes, but is not limited to, fruits, 791
vegetables, and nuts grown in Mississippi, meat, poultry, eggs, 792
dairy, fish, seafood and other aquatic products produced in 793
Mississippi, and products processed into value-added products that 794
are grown or produced in Mississippi * * *. 795
(d) "Local producer" means a producer that is 796
certified, or has otherwise met all applicable state and federal 797
requirements to be authorized to sell certified agricultural 798
products, produced by practice of the agricultural arts upon land 799
that the certified producer controls, directly to the public or to 800
individuals, organizations or entities that subsequently sell or 801
distribute the products directly to end users, at a certified 802
farmers' market, or an outlet or location. 803
(e) "Unprocessed or minimally processed agricultural 804
products" means raw agricultural commodities or products that have 805
undergone only those minimal processing activities necessary to 806
make the product usable and marketable, including, but not limited 807
to, washing, cleaning, trimming, peeling, slicing, freezing, 808
drying, milling, grinding or pasteurization, and that do not 809
contain added ingredients such as sugars, fats, oils or 810
preservatives, except as necessary for food safety. 811
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( * * *f) "School" means any K-12 accredited public or 812
private institution for learning and also includes public and 813
private preschools. 814
(g) "School food authority (SFA)" means the governing 815
body responsible for the administration of one or more schools and 816
having the legal authority to operate the National School Lunch 817
Program or School Breakfast Program in the schools or be otherwise 818
approved by the State Department of Education to operate such 819
programs. 820
(h) "Small purchase threshold" means the maximum dollar 821
amount under which a school food authority or other governmental 822
entity may procure goods or services using informal procurement 823
methods, as established by federal regulations, state law, or 824
guidance issued by the administering agency. 825
(i) "USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) 826
Certification Program" applies to on-farm activities and means the 827
certification issued by the United States Department of 828
Agriculture or a USDA-authorized auditing entity verifying that a 829
farm or agricultural operation has implemented food safety 830
practices consistent with the USDA Good Agricultural Practices 831
standards, including procedures related to growing, harvesting, 832
packing, and storage of agricultural products. 833
(j) "USDA Good Handling Practices (GHP) Certification 834
Program" applies to post-harvest activities and means the 835
certification issued by the United States Department of 836
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Agriculture or a USDA-authorized auditing entity verifying that a 837
post-harvest handling, packing, processing, or distribution 838
facility complies with USDA Good Handling Practices standards to 839
ensure the safe handling, storage, and transportation of 840
agricultural products. 841
(k) "Local preference" means a procurement preference 842
that allows or requires a school food authority or other 843
governmental entity to give priority, price preference, or 844
evaluation credit to bids or proposals for agricultural products 845
that are grown, raised, or processed within the State of 846
Mississippi or a defined geographic region, and that is consistent 847
with federal procurement law. 848
SECTION 11. The following shall be codified as Section 849
69-1-355, Mississippi Code of 1972: 850
69-1-355. (1) There is established the Mississippi Farm, 851
Food and Nutrition Commission, to identify models and methods for 852
promoting farm to institution practices and initiatives in the 853
state to enhance community food systems and increase the 854
procurement and availability of fresh, healthy foods to promote 855
economic opportunities for Mississippi farmers and producers. 856
(2) The commission shall be composed of the following 857
members: 858
(a) One (1) person who represents the State Department 859
of Education, Office of Child Nutrition, appointed by the State 860
Superintendent of Public Education; 861
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(b) One (1) person who represents the Market 862
Development or Farmers Market Nutrition Program at the Department 863
of Agriculture and Commerce, appointed by the Commissioner of 864
Agriculture and Commerce; 865
(c) One (1) person who represents a 866
university-affiliated nutrition research program, appointed by the 867
Commissioner of Higher Education or his or her designee; 868
(d) One (1) person who represents the State Health 869
Improvement Plan in the Department of Preventative Medicine at the 870
University of Mississippi Medical Center, appointed by the Vice 871
Chancellor for Health Affairs at the University of Mississippi 872
Medical Center; 873
(e) One (1) person who represents food service 874
directors in Mississippi public schools, appointed by the State 875
Superintendent of Public Education; 876
(f) Two (2) persons who represent a Mississippi-based 877
nonprofit organization with a focus on health and nutrition 878
policies and programming, appointed by the Speaker of the House of 879
Representatives upon recommendation of the Chair of the Public 880
Health and Human Services Committee of the House; 881
(g) One (1) person who represents the Mississippi 882
Academy of Nutritionists and Dietitians, appointed by the 883
Executive Director of the Mississippi Academy of Nutritionists and 884
Dietitians; 885
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(h) One (1) person who represents the Mississippi Food 886
Network, appointed by the Executive Director of the Mississippi 887
Food Bank Collaborative; 888
(i) Two (2) persons from differing geographic regions of 889
the state who represent a nonprofit focusing on 890
farm-to-institution initiatives that include, but are not limited 891
to, farm-to-school, farm-to-early childcare, farm-to-college and 892
university, and other such farm-to-institution programs, appointed 893
by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Farm to School 894
Network; 895
(j) One (1) person who represents the Center for 896
Mississippi Food Systems, appointed by the Executive Director of 897
the Center for Mississippi Food Systems; 898
(k) One (1) person who represents the Mississippi State 899
University Extension Program, appointed by the Director of the 900
Mississippi State University Extension Program or his or her 901
designee; 902
(l) One (1) person who represents the Alcorn State 903
University Extension Program, appointed by the Director of the 904
Alcorn State University Extension Program or his or her designee; 905
(m) One (1) person who represents the Mississippi Farm 906
Bureau Federation, appointed by the President of the Mississippi 907
Farm Bureau Foundation; 908
(n) One (1) person who represents the Mississippi Delta 909
Food Policy and Action Council, appointed by the Executive 910
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Director of the Mississippi Delta Food Policy and Action Council 911
or his or her designee; 912
(o) One (1) person who is a Mississippi-based 913
representative of the Catfish Institute, appointed by the 914
President of the Catfish Institute; 915
(p) One (1) person who represents the Mississippi 916
Association of Cooperatives, appointed by the Executive Director 917
of the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives or his or her 918
designee; 919
(q) One (1) person who represents poultry producers in 920
Mississippi, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor upon 921
recommendation of the Chair of the Public Health and Welfare 922
Committee of the Mississippi State Senate; and 923
(r) One (1) person who represents cattle farmers and 924
ranchers, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor upon recommendation 925
of the Chair of the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the 926
Mississippi State Senate. 927
(3) In appointing members of the commission, the appointing 928
authorities shall ensure that the members reflect the diversity of 929
this state, with members representing rural areas, urban areas and 930
different geographical regions of the state. 931
(4) Members of the commission shall serve without 932
compensation or reimbursement for their expenses related to 933
participating in the commission, and the commission shall function 934
without appropriations or state funds. However, the commission 935
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may accept real or in-kind contributions or funds that may be 936
offered as financial grants from public or private sources. The 937
Legislature and any department, division, board, bureau, 938
commission or agency of the state, or of any political subdivision 939
thereof, may provide, at the request of the chair of the 940
commission, such facilities, assistance and data as will enable 941
the commission to carry out its duties. 942
(5) The commission shall hold its first meeting no later 943
than July 1, 2026, with the date, time and location of this first 944
meeting to be determined jointly by the members serving on the 945
commission. At the first meeting, the commission shall elect a 946
chairman, vice chairman, and any other officers deemed necessary, 947
from its members, and begin the development of a scope of work for 948
the commission to be submitted to the Chair of the Public Health 949
and Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives, the 950
Chair of the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate, 951
the Chairs of the Education Committees of the House of 952
Representatives and the Senate, and the Chairs of the Agriculture 953
Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, or any 954
successor committees, on or before January 1, 2027. The 955
commission shall meet periodically but not less frequently than 956
once per quarter of each year. 957
(6) Beginning with the first meeting, and for a study period 958
of at least one (1) year, the commission shall coordinate 959
interagency and stakeholder collaboration to investigate and make 960
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recommendations for administering best practices to facilitate the 961
growth and creation of farm-to-institution programs and economic 962
opportunities for Mississippi farmers and producers that increase 963
the availability and procurement of fresh, local foods in 964
communities throughout the State of Mississippi. This shall be 965
accomplished through, but not be limited to, the following areas 966
of study: 967
(a) Creating and administering an assessment or survey 968
designed to evaluate what specific programs or efforts would be 969
the most effective in increasing the number of opportunities for 970
local farmers and producers to supply their products to state 971
agencies, entities of such agencies as appropriate, and commercial 972
distributors; 973
(b) Creating and administering an assessment or survey 974
designed to evaluate existing federal nutrition programs being 975
administered in the State of Mississippi to identify effective 976
strategies for increasing coordination of efforts and to maximize 977
available funding. Such programs shall include, but not be 978
limited to: 979
(i) The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP); 980
(ii) The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program 981
for Women, Infants and Children (WIC;) 982
(iii) The Emergency Food Assistance Program 983
(TEFAP); 984
(iv) The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP); and 985
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(v) The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. 986
(c) Literature review and meta-analysis of research 987
related to food environments, education and training, community 988
initiatives, media and marketing influences, and other subjects 989
deemed relevant by the commission; 990
(d) Investigate various procurement procedures, 991
processes, programs or tools for school food authorities and any 992
other public or private institutions to purchase locally grown or 993
raised agricultural products directly from local or regional 994
producers, including farmers, ranchers, fishers or producer 995
cooperatives, for use in institutional food service operations, 996
and in compliance with the federal micro-purchase threshold or 997
simplified acquisition threshold as defined in 2 CFR Section 998
200.88, and any other applicable federal and state procurement 999
requirements. 1000
(e) Development or enhancement of training programs for 1001
Mississippi farmers related to marketing crops, food safety, 1002
processing and preserving crops, business management, liability 1003
and risk management, and other topics deemed appropriate by the 1004
commission, including, but not limited to, the USDA Good 1005
Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) 1006
certifications; 1007
(f) Study and prepare guidance for food preparation 1008
trainings and processes for food service staff to accommodate 1009
sourcing fresh and local foods; 1010
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(g) Identify opportunities to promote job creation 1011
around small- and mid-size producers and local procurement 1012
initiatives; 1013
(h) In cooperation with relevant stakeholders, utilize 1014
and enhance the existing nutrition source mapping tool developed 1015
by the State Health Improvement Plan's Nutrition Task Force and 1016
that is housed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, 1017
Department of Preventative Medicine, to develop a voluntary 1018
web-based directory of Mississippi agricultural and aquacultural 1019
entities, local producers or aggregators, nutrition programs, 1020
farms, farmer's markets, and any other entities the commission 1021
deems necessary to include, that is searchable by location, 1022
promotes communication and sales between Mississippi farmers and 1023
Mississippi-based entities, and supports market development 1024
opportunities. The mapping tool and directory should be routinely 1025
updated and consistently maintained and usable by anyone 1026
interested in locating farmers, Mississippi farm products, and 1027
nutrition program site locations throughout the state; 1028
(i) Working with the State Department of Education 1029
Office of Child Nutrition to assess and identify methods for 1030
school food service directors to create or amend school 1031
procedures, procurement forms, proper handling, preparing and 1032
storing procedures in order to facilitate the purchase of locally 1033
grown and locally raised agricultural products to be served in 1034
school meals; 1035
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(j) Assess the financial feasibility of mobile markets 1036
at schools for local farmers and producers and incentives for the 1037
purchase of such products; and 1038
(k) A literature review and comparative analysis 1039
regarding research related to ultra processed foods and food 1040
additives as it relates to overall nutrition and metabolic health. 1041
(7) At the end of the one (1) year study period, the 1042
commission shall report its progress and findings related to the 1043
matters described in subsection (6) of this section to the Chair 1044
of the Public Health and Human Services Committee of the House of 1045
Representatives, the Chair of the Public Health and Welfare 1046
Committee of the Senate, the Chairs of the Education Committees of 1047
the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the Chairs of the 1048
Agriculture Committees of the House of Representatives and the 1049
Senate, or any successor committees * * *. The commission shall 1050
then begin the coordination of efforts between the State 1051
Department of Education, the Department of Agriculture and 1052
Commerce and the State Department of Health to achieve the 1053
following: 1054
(a) The chairman elected by the commission at the first 1055
meeting as described in subsection (5) of this section shall serve 1056
as the point person to coordinate efforts between the State 1057
Department of Education, the Department of Agriculture and 1058
Commerce and the State Department of Health, who shall be 1059
responsible for identifying local farmers, processors and 1060
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suppliers and shall work with the State Department of Education to 1061
make that information available to school food service directors 1062
and for creating and disseminating information on the school food 1063
procurement process to help farmers, processors, and suppliers 1064
learn more about the process; 1065
(b) Educate food service directors on the small 1066
purchase threshold and tools to promote their use for 1067
farm-to-school initiatives; 1068
(c) Implement food preparation trainings and processes 1069
for food service staff to accommodate sourcing fresh and local 1070
foods; 1071
(d) Identify, target, and promote job creation around 1072
small- and mid-size producers and local procurement initiatives; 1073
(e) Notify and assist interested schools, farms and 1074
community organizations in applying for funding sources and grants 1075
related to supporting and decreasing the cost of purchasing 1076
locally grown and locally raised agricultural products to serve in 1077
school meals; 1078
(f) Assist Mississippi farmers in marketing and 1079
building commercial relationships with food service directors in 1080
schools; 1081
(g) Implement and administer training programs for 1082
Mississippi farmers related to marketing crops, food safety, 1083
processing crops, business management, liability and risk 1084
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management, and any other topics deemed appropriate by the 1085
commission; 1086
(h) Encourage school food service directors to include 1087
local farmers, processors and suppliers when procuring farm 1088
products that fall under the small purchase threshold; 1089
(i) Encourage all new school construction projects to 1090
consider kitchen facilities capable of producing fresh and healthy 1091
school meals and opportunities for hands-on learning; and 1092
(j) Encourage schools, community organizations, 1093
restaurants, grocery retail stores, convenient stores, and other 1094
local organizations and businesses to purchase more locally grown 1095
and locally raised agricultural products to serve or sell through 1096
their businesses in order to support and increase local farmers' 1097
capacity to grow and produce food for commercial purposes. 1098
(8) At least ten percent (10%) of the local farmers, 1099
processors, and suppliers used in providing unprocessed 1100
agricultural products pursuant to this section may be minority 1101
producers. 1102
(9) The State Department of Education and the Department of 1103
Agriculture and Commerce may accept funds from any federal, state 1104
or private source to implement this section. Any federal funds 1105
received for school nutrition programs, including, but not limited 1106
to, funds from the Rural Health Transformation Fund, Public Law 1107
No. 119-21, may also be used for purchases pursuant to Section 1108
31-7-13(m)(vii). 1109
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(10) Once annually, on or before January 1, in each 1110
following year thereafter, the commission shall report to the 1111
Chair of the Public Health and Human Services Committee of the 1112
House of Representatives, the Chair of the Public Health and 1113
Welfare Committee of the Senate, the Chairs of the Education 1114
Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the 1115
Chairs of the Agriculture Committees of the House of 1116
Representatives and the Senate, or any successor committees, its 1117
progress related to the matters described in subsections (6) and 1118
(7) of this section, as well as any new recommendations for 1119
broadening market opportunities for Mississippi farmers, 1120
producers, and suppliers, or for increasing access to locally 1121
grown or raised agricultural products. 1122
(11) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2040. 1123
SECTION 12. Section 73-25-14, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 1124
amended as follows: 1125
73-25-14. (1) Except as provided in Section 33-1-39, the 1126
license of every person licensed to practice medicine or 1127
osteopathy in the State of Mississippi shall be renewed annually. 1128
On or before May 1 of each year, the State Board of Medical 1129
Licensure shall mail a notice of renewal of license to every 1130
physician or osteopath to whom a license was issued or renewed 1131
during the current licensing year. The notice shall provide 1132
instructions for obtaining and submitting applications for 1133
renewal. The State Board of Medical Licensure is authorized to 1134
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make applications for renewal available via electronic means. The 1135
applicant shall obtain and complete the application and submit it 1136
to the board in the manner prescribed by the board in the notice 1137
before June 30 with the renewal fee of an amount established by 1138
the board, but not to exceed Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00), a 1139
portion of which fee shall be used to support a program to aid 1140
impaired physicians and osteopaths. The payment of the annual 1141
license renewal fee shall be optional with all physicians over the 1142
age of seventy (70) years. Upon receipt of the application and 1143
fee, the board shall verify the accuracy of the application and 1144
issue to applicant a certificate of renewal for the ensuing year, 1145
beginning July 1 and expiring June 30 of the succeeding calendar 1146
year. That renewal shall render the holder thereof a legal 1147
practitioner as stated on the renewal form. 1148
(2) License renewal shall require the completion of one (1) 1149
hour of continuing medical education related to nutrition and 1150
metabolic health, as determined by the State Board of Medical 1151
Licensure in consultation with the Mississippi Farm, Food and 1152
Nutrition Commission established in 69-1-355, and an 1153
acknowledgement of receipt of the most recent informational and 1154
statistical reports pertaining to public health outcomes in the 1155
State of Mississippi. 1156
(3) Any physician or osteopath practicing in Mississippi who 1157
allows his or her license to lapse by failing to renew the license 1158
as provided in subsection (1) may be reinstated by the board on 1159
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satisfactory explanation for the failure to renew, by completion 1160
of a reinstatement form, and upon payment of the renewal fee for 1161
the current year, and shall be assessed a fine of Twenty-five 1162
Dollars ($25.00) plus an additional fine of Five Dollars ($5.00) 1163
for each month thereafter that the license renewal remains 1164
delinquent. 1165
( * * *4) Any physician or osteopath not practicing in 1166
Mississippi who allows his or her license to lapse by failing to 1167
renew the license as provided in subsection (1) may be reinstated 1168
by the board on satisfactory explanation for the failure to renew, 1169
by completion of a reinstatement form and upon payment of the 1170
arrearages for the previous five (5) years and the renewal fee for 1171
the current year. 1172
( * * *5) Any physician or osteopath who allows his or her 1173
license to lapse shall be notified by the board within thirty (30) 1174
days of that lapse. 1175
( * * *6) Any person practicing as a licensed physician or 1176
osteopath during the time his or her license has lapsed shall be 1177
considered an illegal practitioner and shall be subject to 1178
penalties provided for violation of the Medical Practice Act, if 1179
he or she had not submitted the required reinstatement form and 1180
fee within fifteen (15) days after notification by the board of 1181
the lapse. 1182
( * * *7) Any physician or osteopath practicing in the State 1183
of Mississippi whose license has lapsed and is deemed an illegal 1184
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practitioner under subsection ( * * *6) of this section may 1185
petition the board for reinstatement of his or her license on a 1186
retroactive basis, if the physician or osteopath was unable to 1187
meet the June 30 deadline due to extraordinary or other legitimate 1188
reasons, and retroactive reinstatement of licensure shall be 1189
granted or may be denied by the board only for good cause. 1190
Failure to advise the board of change of address shall not be 1191
considered a basis of reinstatement. 1192
( * * *8) None of the fees or fines provided for in this 1193
section shall be applicable to the renewal of a special volunteer 1194
medical license authorized under Section 73-25-18. 1195
( * * *9) Fees collected under the provisions of this 1196
section shall be used by the board to defray expenses of 1197
administering the licensure provisions of the Medical Practice Act 1198
(Title 73, Chapter 25, Mississippi Code of 1972) and to support a 1199
program to aid impaired physicians and osteopaths in an amount 1200
determined by the board. 1201
( * * *10) In order for a physician or osteopath whose 1202
medical license has been expired for five (5) years or more to 1203
qualify for reinstatement of license, the physician or osteopath 1204
must have successfully been cleared for reinstatement through an 1205
investigation that shall consist of a determination as to good 1206
moral character and verification that the prospective licensee is 1207
not guilty of or in violation of any statutory ground for denial 1208
of licensure as set forth in Sections 73-25-29 and 73-25-83. To 1209
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assist the board in conducting its licensure investigation, all 1210
applicants shall undergo a fingerprint-based criminal history 1211
records check of the Mississippi central criminal database and the 1212
Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history database. Each 1213
applicant shall submit a full set of the applicant's fingerprints 1214
in a form and manner prescribed by the board, which shall be 1215
forwarded to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety 1216
(department) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation 1217
Identification Division for this purpose. 1218
Any and all state or national criminal history records 1219
information obtained by the board that is not already a matter of 1220
public record shall be deemed nonpublic and confidential 1221
information restricted to the exclusive use of the board, its 1222
members, officers, investigators, agents and attorneys in 1223
evaluating the applicant's eligibility or disqualification for 1224
licensure, and shall be exempt from the Mississippi Public Records 1225
Act of 1983. Except when introduced into evidence in a hearing 1226
before the board to determine licensure, no such information or 1227
records related thereto shall, except with the written consent of 1228
the applicant or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, be 1229
released or otherwise disclosed by the board to any other person 1230
or agency. 1231
The board shall provide to the department the fingerprints of 1232
the applicant, any additional information that may be required by 1233
the department, and a form signed by the applicant consenting to 1234
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ST: MS Farm & Food Security Act of 2026;
create.
the check of the criminal records and to the use of the 1235
fingerprints and other identifying information required by the 1236
state or national repositories. 1237
The board shall charge and collect from the applicant, in 1238
addition to all other applicable fees and costs, such amount as 1239
may be incurred by the board in requesting and obtaining state and 1240
national criminal history records information on the applicant. 1241
SECTION 13. This act shall take effect and be in force from 1242
and after July 1, 2026, except for Sections 9, 10 and 11, which 1243
shall take effect and be in force from and after the passage of 1244
this act. 1245