For the school year beginning July 2008 and each subsequent school year, the Secretary shall provide grants to States to carry out a program to make free fresh fruits and vegetables available in elementary schools (referred to in this section as the “program”).
A school participating in the program shall make free fresh fruits and vegetables available to students throughout the school day (or at such other times as are considered appropriate by the Secretary) in 1 or more areas designated by the school.
Prior to making decisions regarding school participation in the program, a State agency shall inform the schools within the State with the highest proportion of free and reduced price meal eligibility, including Native American schools, of the eligibility of the schools for the program with respect to priority granted to schools with the highest proportion of free and reduced price eligibility under paragraph (1)(B).
In providing information to schools in accordance with subparagraph (A), a State agency shall inform the schools that would likely be chosen to participate in the program under paragraph (1)(B).
If selected to participate in the program, a school shall widely publicize within the school the availability of free fresh fruits and vegetables under the program.
To the maximum extent practicable, each State agency shall ensure that in making the fruits and vegetables provided under this section available to students, schools offer the fruits and vegetables separately from meals otherwise provided at the school under this chapter or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).
Not later than September 30, 2011, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes the results of the evaluation under paragraph (1).
In allocating funding made available under paragraph (1) among the States in accordance with subsection (c), the Secretary shall ensure that each State that received funding under section 1769(f) of this title on the day before the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 shall continue to receive sufficient funding under this section to maintain the caseload level of the State under that section as in effect on that date.
On October 1, 2008, out of any funds made available under subsection (b)(2)(A) of section 612c–6 of title 7, the Secretary shall use to carry out the evaluation required under subsection (h), $3,000,000, to remain available for obligation until September 30, 2010.
The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall accept, and shall use to carry out this section any funds transferred for that purpose, without further appropriation.
In addition to any other amounts made available to carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to expand the program established under this section.
Of funds made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary may use not more than $500,000 for the administrative costs of carrying out the program.
The Secretary shall allow each State to reserve such funding as the Secretary determines to be necessary to administer the program in the State (with adjustments for the size of the State and the grant amount), but not to exceed the amount required to pay the costs of 1 full-time coordinator for the program in the State.