Under existing law, the State Department of Education is designated as the California State Agency for Donated Food Distribution, and is authorized and directed to cooperate with the federal government and its agencies in securing the expeditious and equitable distribution of surplus food commodities donated by the federal government to public agencies, institutions, and organizations in California, to assist those public agencies, institutions, and organizations in securing those food commodities and to do all things necessary to the execution of its powers and duties.

This bill would require the State Department of Education, as the California State Agency for Donated Food Distribution, to enter contract for an independent evaluation of the efficacy and desirability of entering into contracts with a private entity to provide food distribution services under those provisions, if and would require that evaluation to consider certain issues, including whether the use of a private contractor provides would provide a cost savings to the state, whether the use of a private contractor does not would interfere with applicable civil service requirements, and the whether a private contractor has been can be duly certified by the appropriate federal agency to provide those services, and any other issues the Superintendent of Public Instruction considers pertinent to the economical and efficient operation of the program for donated food distribution. The bill would require that evaluation to be provided to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature on or before March 1, 2000.