HF 5

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 01/17/2023 01:36pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing for school lunch and breakfast for all students;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 124D.111, subdivisions 1a, 4;
124D.1158, subdivisions 1, 3, 4.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.111, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:

Subd. 1a.

School lunch aid amounts.

deleted text begin Each school year, the state must pay participants
in the national school lunch program the amount of 12.5 cents for each full paid and free
student lunch and 52.5 cents for each reduced-price lunch served to students.
deleted text end

new text begin (a) Any Minnesota school that participates in the United States Department of Agriculture
National School Lunch Program must provide, at no cost, a federally reimbursable lunch
to all enrolled students each school day. A participating school with an Identified Student
Percentage at or above the federal percentage determined for all meals to be reimbursed at
the free rate must participate in the Community Eligibility Provision.
new text end

new text begin (b) The department must provide to every Minnesota school providing meals to students
under paragraph (a) funding equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement and
the average cost of a school meal as annually defined by the United States Department of
Agriculture.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.111, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

No fees.

A participant that receives school lunch aid under this section must
make lunch available without charge and must not deny a school lunch to deleted text begin all participating
students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals deleted text end new text begin any student new text end , whether or not that student
has an outstanding balance in the student's meals account attributable to a la carte purchases
or for any other reason.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.1158, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Purpose.

The purpose of the school breakfast program is to provide
affordable morning nutrition to children so that they can effectively learn. new text begin Any Minnesota
school that participates in the United States Department of Agriculture School Breakfast
Program must provide, at no cost, a federally reimbursable breakfast to all enrolled students
each school day. new text end Public and nonpublic schools that participate in the federal school breakfast
program may receive state breakfast aid. Schools shall encourage all children to eat a
nutritious breakfast, either at home or at school, and shall work to eliminate barriers to
breakfast participation at school such as inadequate facilities and transportation.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.1158, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Program reimbursement.

deleted text begin Each school year, the state must reimburse each
participating school 30 cents for each reduced-price breakfast, 55 cents for each fully paid
breakfast served to students in grades 1 to 12, and $1.30 for each fully paid breakfast served
to a prekindergarten student enrolled in an approved voluntary prekindergarten program
under section 124D.151 or a kindergarten student. deleted text end new text begin The department must provide to every
Minnesota school participating in the federal School Breakfast Program funding equal to
the difference between the federal reimbursement and the average cost of a school breakfast
as annually defined by the United States Department of Agriculture.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.1158, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

No fees.

A school that receives school breakfast aid under this section must
make breakfast available without charge to all deleted text begin participating deleted text end students in grades 1 to 12 deleted text begin who
qualify for free or reduced-price meals deleted text end and to all prekindergarten students enrolled in an
approved voluntary prekindergarten program under section 124D.151 new text begin , early childhood
special education students participating in a program authorized under section 124D.151, new text end
and all kindergarten students.