BILL NUMBER: AB 727	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Mitchell

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to add Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 12405) to Part
2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, relating to public
contracts.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 727, as introduced, Mitchell. Healthy and sustainable food
procurement.
   Existing law governing contracting between state agencies and
private contractors sets forth requirements for the procurement of
supplies, materials, equipment, and services by state agencies and
sets forth the various responsibilities of the Department of General
Services and other state agencies in overseeing and implementing
state contracting procedures and policies.
   This bill would require the department to develop nutrition
standards to govern the foods purchased for all state departments,
agencies, and state-run institutions in accordance with the federal
dietary guidelines. This bill would also require the department to
develop prescribed guidelines for sustainable purchasing practices
and procedures that encourage purchasing from local vendors, farms,
and manufacturers when feasible. This bill would authorize the
department to consult with the Department of Public Health in
developing these standards and guidelines.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 12405) is added to
Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 6.5.  HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD PROCUREMENT ACT


   12405.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) Access to safe and nutritious foods is essential to a person's
health.
   (b) Hunger, food insecurity, and poor nutrition are critical
issues that require immediate and sustained action to be reduced and
eliminated.
   (c) The way that we process, grow, and develop foods and food
policy has a short-and-long-term economic and environmental effect on
our local communities and the state overall.
   (d) Sustainable food systems can provide nutritious foods for all
people, shorten the distance between food consumers and producers,
protect workers' health and welfare, minimize environmental effects,
and strengthen connections between urban and rural communities.
   (e) As one of the leading agricultural states in the nation,
California has the potential to serve as a model state promoting
procurement policies that reflect the goals of healthy eating,
sustainability, and supporting local economies.
   12406.  (a) The Department of General Services shall develop
nutrition standards to govern the foods purchased for all state
departments, agencies, and state-run institutions in accordance with
the federal dietary guidelines developed by the United States
Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health
and Human Services.
   (b) The Department of General Services shall develop guidelines
for sustainable purchasing practices and procedures that encourage
purchasing from local vendors, farms, and manufacturers when
feasible. The guidelines shall serve as a model for purchasing goods
and services in ways that have the least impact on the environment,
promote healthy and nutritious foods, and support local economies.
   (c) For the purposes of this section, the Department of General
Services may consult with the State Department of Public Health.