1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to the distribution of agricultural products; 
  1.3             establishing a state-funded program to provide 
  1.4             reimbursements to certain providers of meals and 
  1.5             snacks for children in licensed family day care homes; 
  1.6             appropriating money. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [FINDINGS.] 
  1.9      The legislature finds that all children need well-balanced 
  1.10  meals and snacks in order to build strong bodies and minds.  The 
  1.11  legislature further finds that programs to provide nutritional 
  1.12  elements to participants enrolled in child and adult care 
  1.13  programs are at risk from reduced federal funding and more 
  1.14  restrictive eligibility standards.  The legislature further 
  1.15  finds that it is a valid public purpose to provide public 
  1.16  funding for food and nutrition programs in licensed family day 
  1.17  care homes. 
  1.18     Sec. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] 
  1.19     A licensed family day care home that has participated in 
  1.20  the child and adult care food program administered by the 
  1.21  department of children, families, and learning that complies 
  1.22  with United States Department of Agriculture meal pattern 
  1.23  regulations is eligible to receive cash reimbursements from 
  1.24  funds made available by the appropriations in section 3. 
  1.25     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.26     $8,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 1998, and 
  2.1   $8,000,000 in fiscal year 1999 from the general fund to the 
  2.2   commissioner of agriculture for transfer to the commissioner of 
  2.3   children, families, and learning to fund the meal and nutrition 
  2.4   program for licensed family day care homes under section 2.  Any 
  2.5   amount of this appropriation that remains unencumbered at the 
  2.6   end of a fiscal year does not cancel but remains available for 
  2.7   similar purposes in the following fiscal year.