Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
94th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 477 3
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By: Senators J. Dismang, C. Tucker 5
By: Representatives Vaught, McCullough 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT CONCERNING FE DERALLY FUNDED CHILD NUTRITION 9
PROGRAMS; TO CREATE A MEANS BY WHICH STU DENTS WHO 10
QUALIFY FOR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS AT SCHOO L RECEIVE 11
FREE MEALS AT SCHOOL ; AND FOR OTHER PURP OSES. 12
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Subtitle 15
TO CREATE A MEANS BY WHICH STUDENTS WHO 16
QUALIFY FOR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS AT SCHOOL 17
RECEIVE FREE MEALS AT SCHOOL. 18
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 7, is amended 23
to add an additional section to read as follows: 24
6-18-720. Free and reduced -price meals. 25
(a) Federal funds appropriated to the Department of Education for a 26
child nutrition program shall be used to provide school breakfasts and 27
lunches at no cost to ea ch qualifying student. 28
(b)(1) A public school that serves a school breakfast or a school 29
lunch as part of a child nutrition program shall not charge a qualifying 30
student a reduced-price copayment for a school breakfast or a school lunch. 31
(2)(A) If necessary to comply with the requirements of this 32
section, the department shall provide funds that have been disbursed to the 33
department from the federal government for purposes of funding child 34
nutrition programs to each public school that serves a school br eakfast or a 35
school lunch as part of a child nutrition program to cover the cost of 36 SB477
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eliminating reduced-price copayments as required by subdivision (b)(1) of 1
this section. 2
(B) If federal funds appropriated to the department for a 3
child nutrition progra m are insufficient to provide a school breakfast or a 4
school lunch at no cost under subdivision (b)(2)(A) of this section, the 5
department shall use funds as authorized by law to provide a school breakfast 6
or a school lunch not initially covered by federal funds under subsection (a) 7
of this section or other funds as authorized by law. 8
(c)(1) Annually by November 15, the Department of Education shall 9
report on and provide to the House Committee on Education and the Senate 10
Committee on Education an overview of each child nutrition program offered in 11
public schools. 12
(2) The report required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section 13
shall include without limitation: 14
(A) The procedure for applying for free or reduced -price 15
meals in public schools; and 16
(B) The number of students who: 17
(i) Apply for free or reduced -price meals; 18
(ii) Are accepted to receive free or reduced -price 19
meals; 20
(iii) Are denied from receiving free or reduced -21
price meals; and 22
(iv) Automatically qualify for free or reduced-price 23
meals based on federal eligibility requirements. 24
(d)(1) Arkansas Legislative Audit shall audit the Arkansas Department 25
of Education Child Nutrition Unit by December 15, 2023, and report the audit 26
findings to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on 27
Education. 28
(2) The audit required under subdivision (d)(1) of this section 29
shall determine whether each public school's participation in a child 30
nutrition program effectively: 31
(A) Serves the intent of the General Assembl y to expand 32
students' access to free meals in public schools; and 33
(B) Complies with federal and state law and rules. 34
(e) As used in this section: 35
(1) "Child nutrition program" includes the following as 36 SB477
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established under the National School Lunch A ct, 42 U.S.C. ยง 1751 et seq., as 1
it existed on January 1, 2023: 2
(A) The National School Lunch Program; or 3
(B) The School Breakfast Program; and 4
(2) "Qualifying student" means a kindergarten through grade 5
twelve (K-12) student enrolled in a publi c school who is eligible for receipt 6
of a reduced-price meal in a child nutrition program. 7
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