Colorado § 22-82.9-303 - Local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program - creation - report.

§ 22-82.9-303. Local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program - creation - report.

(1) The local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program is created in the department. The purpose of the technical assistance and education program is to issue a grant to a statewide nonprofit organization to develop and manage a grant program to assist with the promotion of Colorado grown, raised, or processed products to participating providers.

(2) In a state fiscal year when appropriations from the healthy school meals for all program fund created in section 22-82.9-211 do not fully fund the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program pursuant to section 22-82.9-207, the general assembly may appropriate an amount for the nonprofit organization to award grants for the following:

(a) Training, technical assistance, and physical infrastructure grants to participating providers, grower associations, or other organizations that aggregate products from producers for:

(I) Professional contracting services to support the development and sustainability of local and regional food systems;

(II) Chef training on food handling and procurement practices and small kitchen equipment purchases;

(III) Good agricultural practices certification costs and good handling practices certification costs and training on selling to schools; and

(IV) Capacity building for local value-added processed products; and

(b) Education, outreach, and promotion for:

(I) Schools to engage families and communities around the benefits of farm-to-school and ways to support farm-to-school; and

(II) Grower associations and growers to communicate to schools and school communities about the multiple benefits of purchasing local products.

(3) The nonprofit organization shall annually report to the department on the technical assistance and education program, including:

(a) The number and types of entities receiving grants;

(b) The number, types, and purposes of the grants awarded pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section; and

(c) The types of education and outreach conducted by participating providers and others pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section.

Source: L. 2024: Entire part added, (HB 24-1390), ch. 133, p. 487, § 11, effective April 29. L. 2026: IP(2) amended, (HB 26-1350), ch. 166, p. 996, § 10, effective May 27.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 26-1350, see section 1 of chapter 166, Session Laws of Colorado 2026.