Come January, the 84th Texas Legislature here in Austin will have its plate full of food-related bills.
One of the bills, House Bill 269, addresses ‘food deserts’, by creating a program to help finance grocery stores and corner shops featuring healthy foods. Another law being considered, House Bill 245, would lengthen lunch periods for full-time librarians and teachers from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
If it passes, Texas citizens will receive added protection for their right to grow food via House Bill 132, which will prevent government at the local and county levels from interfering with individuals’ agricultural activities. This would include gardening, as well as small animals used for food.
House Bill 91 will enable those who sell or buy raw milk to benefit from more options. While present law allows raw milk to be sold only at the farm at which it is produced, the new bill would establish special permits to be issued, allowing the holder to sell raw milk in other venues, such as farmers' markets.
The Texas Department of Agriculture hopes to get a boost for its ‘Go Texan’ program; Senate Bill 39 would direct local schools, as well as post-secondary public schools, to favor Texas-grown agricultural products.
Groups interested in the passage of these bills will no doubt want to engage brochure printers to bring support to bear on legislators in Austin.
