SF 5067

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/19/2024 09:27am

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; prohibiting a school district from using a collections
agency to collect unpaid school meals debt; canceling student unpaid school meals
debt; amending Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 124D.111,
subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 124D.111, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

School meals policies.

(a) Each Minnesota participant in the national
school lunch program must adopt and post to its website, or the website of the organization
where the meal is served, a school meals policy.

(b) The policy must be in writing and clearly communicate student meal charges when
payment cannot be collected at the point of service. The policy must be reasonable and
well-defined and maintain the dignity of students by prohibiting lunch shaming or otherwise
ostracizing the student.

deleted text begin (c) The policy must address whether the participant uses a collections agency to collect
unpaid school meals debt.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (d) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end The policy must ensure that once a participant has placed a meal on a tray or
otherwise served the meal to a student, the meal may not be subsequently withdrawn from
the student by the cashier or other school official, whether or not the student has an
outstanding meals balance.

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end The policy must ensure that a student who has been determined eligible for free
and reduced-price meals must always be served a reimbursable meal even if the student has
an outstanding debt.

deleted text begin (f) deleted text end new text begin (e) new text end If a school contracts with a third party for its meal services, it must provide the
vendor with its school meals policy. Any contract between the school and a third-party
provider entered into or modified after July 1, 2021, must ensure that the third-party provider
adheres to the participant's school meals policy.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2024.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 4a. new text end

new text begin Debt collection. new text end

new text begin A Minnesota participant in the national school lunch program
may not engage a public or private collection agency or other third party to collect unpaid
school meals debt.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2024.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin UNPAID SCHOOL MEALS DEBT CANCELED.
new text end

new text begin (a) On June 30, 2024, a Minnesota participant in the national school lunch program must
cancel any unpaid amounts owed on that date to the participant which are attributable to
food service sales to pupils, including amounts attributable to school breakfast, school lunch,
and a la carte sales.
new text end

new text begin (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to amounts owed to the participant attributable to food
service sales to adults or special function food sales.
new text end

new text begin (c) This section does not restrict a participant from recording the unpaid amounts
attributable to food service sales to pupils occurring after June 30, 2024.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end