SB 442

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  1
  3301.0733 of the Revised Code to enact the Food  2
  Literacy Standards Act to require the Department  3
  of Education and Workforce to adopt food  4
  literacy standards for grades kindergarten  5
  through twelve.  6
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
     Section 1. That section 3301.0718 be amended and section  7
3301.0733 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:  8
     Sec. 3301.0718. The Except as provided in section  9
3301.0733 of the Revised Code, the department of education and  10
workforce shall not adopt or revise any standards or curriculum  11
in the area of health unless, by concurrent resolution, the  12
standards, curriculum, or revisions are approved by both houses  13
of the general assembly. Before the house of representatives or  14
senate votes on a concurrent resolution approving health  15
standards, curriculum, or revisions, its standing committee  16
having jurisdiction over education legislation shall conduct at  17
least one public hearing on the standards, curriculum, or  18
revisions.  19
     Sec. 3301.0733. (A) Not later than one year after the  20
S. B. No. 442  Page 2
As Introduced
effective date of this section, the department of education and  21
workforce shall adopt standards for food literacy education in  22
grades kindergarten through twelve. The department shall  23
formulate the standards based on a review of relevant and  24
current national and state standards. The standards shall  25
include information that will provide students with specific  26
guidance on how food choices influence health, including how to  27
prepare meals and how food is grown. The department of education  28
and workforce shall consult with the department of agriculture  29
when developing standards related to farming, production, and  30
availability of wholesome foods. The department of education and  31
workforce may revise the standards consistent with this section.  32
       (B) Upon adoption of the food literacy standards, the  33
department of education and workforce shall, in a timely manner,  34
post the standards, and any revisions of the standards, to its  35
publicly accessible web site and provide the standards and any  36
revisions to all school districts, community schools established  37
under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, and STEM schools  38
established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code. Each  39
district and school shall post the provided standards and  40
revisions on its publicly accessible web site. Any district or  41
school may utilize the standards in its curriculum. A district  42
or school that does not utilize the standards in its curriculum  43
shall provide its students with a copy of, or access to, the  44
standards.  45
       (C) Upon written request of a student's parent or  46
guardian, a district or school shall excuse the student from any  47
food literacy instruction aligned with the standards adopted  48
under this section.  49
       Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt a  50
S. B. No. 442  Page 3
As Introduced
student from the health education requirements or any other  51
requirements for high school graduation under section 3313.603  52
of the Revised Code.  53
       Section 2. That existing section 3301.0718 of the Revised  54
Code is hereby repealed.  55
       Section 3. This act shall be known as the Food Literacy  56
Standards Act.  57