Enact the Food Literacy Standards Act

sb442_00_IN

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
S. B. No. 442

2025-2026

Senators Reynolds, Smith

To
amend section 3301.0718 and to enact section 3301.0733 of the Revised
Code
to
enact the Food Literacy Standards Act to require the Department of
Education and Workforce to adopt food literacy standards for grades
kindergarten through twelve.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
section 3301.0718 be amended and section 3301.0733 of the Revised
Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
3301.0718.
The

Except
as provided in section 3301.0733 of the Revised Code, the
department
of education and workforce shall not adopt or revise any standards or
curriculum in the area of health unless, by concurrent resolution,
the standards, curriculum, or revisions are approved by both houses
of the general assembly. Before the house of representatives or
senate votes on a concurrent resolution approving health standards,
curriculum, or revisions, its standing committee having jurisdiction
over education legislation shall conduct at least one public hearing
on the standards, curriculum, or revisions.

Sec.
3301.0733.
(A)
Not later than one year after the effective date of this section, the
department of education and workforce shall adopt standards for food
literacy education in grades kindergarten through twelve. The
department shall formulate the standards based on a review of
relevant and current national and state standards. The standards
shall include information that will provide students with specific
guidance on how food choices influence health, including how to
prepare meals and how food is grown. The department of education and
workforce shall consult with the department of agriculture when
developing standards related to farming, production, and availability
of wholesome foods. The department of education and workforce may
revise the standards consistent with this section.

(B)
Upon adoption of the food literacy standards, the department of
education and workforce shall, in a timely manner, post the
standards, and any revisions of the standards, to its publicly
accessible web site and provide the standards and any revisions to
all school districts, community schools established under Chapter
3314. of the Revised Code, and STEM schools established under Chapter
3326. of the Revised Code. Each district and school shall post the
provided standards and revisions on its publicly accessible web site.
Any district or school may utilize the standards in its curriculum. A
district or school that does not utilize the standards in its
curriculum shall provide its students with a copy of, or access to,
the standards.

(C)
Upon written request of a student's parent or guardian, a district or
school shall excuse the student from any food literacy instruction
aligned with the standards adopted under this section.

Nothing
in this section shall be construed to exempt a student from the
health education requirements or any other requirements for high
school graduation under section 3313.603 of the Revised Code.

Section
2.
That
existing section 3301.0718 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.

Section
3.
This
act shall be known as the Food Literacy Standards Act.