SF 2840

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/21/2025 10:47 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; reducing school food waste; authorizing free school
milk during the lunch meal in place of a full school lunch; appropriating money;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.118.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.118, is amended to read:

124D.118 SCHOOL MILK PROGRAM.

Subdivision 1.

Legislative findings.

new text begin (a) new text end The legislature finds that for best health and
well-being, school children in the state should receive at least one serving of milk each day.

new text begin (b) new text end The new text begin legislature finds that the new text end school milk program deleted text begin established in this section is to
provide districts deleted text end new text begin for kindergartners provides schools new text end in the state with added resources so
that all kindergarten students in public and nonpublic schools may have access to wholesome
milk on a daily basis.

new text begin (c) The legislature finds that the school lunch milk program provides an additional
nutritional benefit to students. The legislature also finds that some students interested in
receiving only school milk at lunch take a complete school lunch and consume only the
milk. The school lunch milk program provides schools with resources so that students in
public and nonpublic schools may have daily access to school milk to supplement meals
brought from home, eliminating the need for a student to take a complete school meal only
to obtain the school milk at lunch.
new text end

Subd. 2.

deleted text begin Establishment; school participation deleted text end new text begin Kindergarten milk new text end .

Each deleted text begin district deleted text end new text begin school new text end
in the state is encouraged to participate in the state-supported school milk program for
kindergartners. Participating deleted text begin districts deleted text end new text begin schools new text end must provide one serving of milk on each
school day to each kindergarten student attending a public or nonpublic school in the district.
No student is required to accept the milk that is provided by the district. The program must
be promoted and operated under the direction of the commissioner or the commissioner's
designee.

new text begin Subd. 2a. new text end

new text begin School lunch milk. new text end

new text begin Each school in the state is encouraged to participate in
the state-supported school lunch milk program. The program provides one half-pint of milk
for a student desiring a school milk at lunch who does not take part in the school lunch
program on that day. The school lunch milk program provides milk to students and eliminates
unnecessary food waste.
new text end

Subd. 3.

Program guidelines; duties of the commissioner.

(a) The commissioner deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin
must new text end :

(1) encourage all districts to participate in the school milk program for kindergartners new text begin
and the school lunch milk program new text end ;

(2) prepare program guidelines new text begin for the school milk program for kindergartners new text end , not
subject to chapter 14 until July 1, 1998, which will effectively and efficiently distribute
appropriated and donated money to participating districts; and

(3) seek donations and matching funds from appropriate private and public sources.

(b) Program guidelines may provide for disbursement to districts through a mechanism
of prepayments or by reimbursement for approved program expenses.

new text begin (c) The commissioner may establish program guidelines for school lunch milk served
in place of a school lunch by a participant in the national school lunch program under section
124D.111.
new text end

Subd. 4.

Reimbursement new text begin ; breakfast milk and school lunch milk new text end .

new text begin (a) new text end In accordance
with program guidelines, the commissioner deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin must new text end reimburse each participating public
or nonpublic school 20 cents for each half-pint of milk that is served to kindergarten students
and is not part of a school lunch or breakfast reimbursed under section 124D.111 or
124D.1158.

new text begin (b) The commissioner must reimburse each public or nonpublic school participating in
the free meals program for each half-pint of milk served to a student who brings a meal
from home on that day or otherwise forgoes a school lunch provided at no cost on that day.
The reimbursement rate for each half-pint of milk equals the greater of 50 cents or the
special school milk rate established by the United States Department of Agriculture Food
and Nutrition Services division for that school year.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for fiscal year 2026 and later.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; SCHOOL MILK.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sums indicated in this section are
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal years
designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin School milk. new text end

new text begin For kindergarten milk and school lunch milk aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.118:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2026 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2027 new text end