As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session S. B. No. 442

2025-2026

Senators Reynolds, Smith

To amend section 3301.0718 and to enact section 3301.0733 of the Revised Code to enact the Food Literacy Standards Act to require the Department of Education and Workforce to adopt food literacy standards for grades kindergarten through twelve.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 3301.0718 be amended and section 3301.0733 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3301.0718. The Except as provided in section 3301.0733 of the Revised Code, the department of education and workforce shall not adopt or revise any standards or curriculum in the area of health unless, by concurrent resolution, the standards, curriculum, or revisions are approved by both houses of the general assembly. Before the house of representatives or senate votes on a concurrent resolution approving health standards, curriculum, or revisions, its standing committee having jurisdiction over education legislation shall conduct at least one public hearing on the standards, curriculum, or revisions.

Sec. 3301.0733. (A) Not later than one year after the effective date of this section, the department of education and workforce shall adopt standards for food literacy education in grades kindergarten through twelve. The department shall formulate the standards based on a review of relevant and current national and state standards. The standards shall include information that will provide students with specific guidance on how food choices influence health, including how to prepare meals and how food is grown. The department of education and workforce shall consult with the department of agriculture when developing standards related to farming, production, and availability of wholesome foods. The department of education and workforce may revise the standards consistent with this section.

(B) Upon adoption of the food literacy standards, the department of education and workforce shall, in a timely manner, post the standards, and any revisions of the standards, to its publicly accessible web site and provide the standards and any revisions to all school districts, community schools established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, and STEM schools established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code. Each district and school shall post the provided standards and revisions on its publicly accessible web site. Any district or school may utilize the standards in its curriculum. A district or school that does not utilize the standards in its curriculum shall provide its students with a copy of, or access to, the standards.

(C) Upon written request of a student's parent or guardian, a district or school shall excuse the student from any food literacy instruction aligned with the standards adopted under this section.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt a student from the health education requirements or any other requirements for high school graduation under section 3313.603 of the Revised Code.

Section 2. That existing section 3301.0718 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.

Section 3. This act shall be known as the Food Literacy Standards Act.