as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/28/2011 10:15am
A bill for an act
relating to education; prohibiting school boards from withholding students'
grades for failing to pay school lunch debts; prohibiting discrimination against
students eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch; establishing parameters
for collecting unpaid school lunch debts; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010,
sections 123B.37, subdivision 2; 124D.111, by adding subdivisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 123B.37, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
No pupil's rights or privileges, including the receipt of grades or diplomas
may be denied or abridged for nonpayment of fees, including school lunch debts; but this
provision does not prohibit a district from maintaining any action provided by law for the
collection of fees authorized by sections 123B.36 and 123B.38.
This section is effective July 1, 2011.
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
No school district, charter school, nonpublic
school, or other participant in the national school lunch program receiving state funding
under subdivision 1 may:
(1) physically segregate, discriminate against, or otherwise stigmatize any child
eligible for a free or reduced-price school lunch;
(2) make any overt or distinguishable identification of a child eligible for a free or
reduced-price school lunch through use of special lines, tickets, announced or published
lists of names, or other public means of identifying that child; or
(3) deny lunch to a child eligible for a reduced-price school lunch who lacks
sufficient funds to pay for lunch or who has unpaid school lunch debts.
This section is effective July 1, 2011.
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
(a) No entity attempting to collect an
unpaid school lunch debt from a household may:
(1) take any action directed at a child in the household, including withholding an
educational opportunity or engaging in any behavior prohibited under subdivision 4; or
(2) associate or contract with, or in any other way use or employ the services of,
a collection agency, as defined in section 332.31, subdivision 3, to attempt to collect an
unpaid school lunch debt from the household.
(b) An entity collecting or attempting to collect an unpaid school lunch debt from a
household must comply with section 332.37.
(c) A household alleging that a school violated section 332.37 has the right to an
injunction under section 332.39.
This section is effective July 1, 2011.