Instructional School Gardens Program: reestablishment: Department of Food and Agriculture.

Senator Pérez's legislation transfers California's Instructional School Gardens Program from the Department of Education to the Department of Food and Agriculture while establishing new funding mechanisms and oversight structures. The reestablished program will provide grants and technical assistance to local educational agencies for creating and maintaining school gardens as outdoor learning spaces.

The Department of Food and Agriculture must develop a competitive grant process by July 1, 2026, with input from a new working group comprising representatives from multiple state agencies and school garden organizations. Local educational agencies and their community partners can apply for either operational grants for existing gardens or in-development grants for new facilities. Applications must detail plans for standards-aligned curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, and regular student access to living ecosystems.

The bill creates the Instructional School Gardens and Maintenance Fund in the State Treasury to support these initiatives, though program implementation depends on legislative appropriation or sufficient private funding. Grant recipients must submit annual reports on garden usage, lesson frequency, and program operations. Local educational agencies operating school gardens may sell produce grown on site if they meet applicable health and safety requirements.