Senate education panel adopts SB 894, S.D.1 funding measure and amends school-food deadline

The Senate Committee on Education voted Thursday to adopt Senate Bill 894, S.D.1, approving an appropriation to the Department of Education to implement a law that requires 30% of foods served in public schools to be sourced locally and amending the bill’s compliance date to July 1, 2050, the committee chair said during a Feb. 13, 2025, decision-making session.

The committee convened in Conference Room 229 at 9:30 a.m. for a decision-making meeting limited to SB 894, S.D.1. The measure, as described during the session, would appropriate funds to the Department of Education to support the local farm-to-school meal goal that requires 30% of food served in public schools be locally sourced.

Committee members reconsidered a previous vote after the department provided additional information on a regional kitchen model — described in the meeting as a centralized production kitchen — as an approach to meet the 30% local sourcing target tied to Act 174. The transcript references the target date as "02/19/30." The committee chair said that clarification from the department prompted the reconsideration.

On the reconsideration motion, the committee chair and the vice chair recorded aye votes; Senators Hashimoto and DeCoite were excused. A roll call for other members’ votes was not recorded in the meeting transcript. The committee chair announced the motion was adopted with an amendment changing the compliance date to July 1, 2050.

The committee did not specify next steps or further committee-level deadlines during the session. No public testimony or additional briefing materials were recorded in the provided transcript.