Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 656 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/29/23 S3/30/23 1
94th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 477 3
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By: Senators J. Dismang, C. Tucker, J. Boyd, J. Bryant, Caldwell, L. Chesterfield, A. Clark, Crowell, B. 5
Davis, Dees, J. Dotson, J. English, Flippo, S. Flowers, Gilmore, K. Hammer, Hester, Hickey, Hill, Irvin, 6
B. Johnson, M. Johnson, G. Leding, F. Love, M. McKee, R. Murdock, J. Payton, C. Penzo, J. Petty, Rice, 7
Stone, D. Sullivan, D. Wallace 8
By: Representatives Vaught, McCullough, Achor, Andrews, Barker, Beaty Jr., M. Berry, Breaux, Brooks, 9
K. Brown, M. Brown, Joey Carr, John Carr, Cavenaugh, Clowney, A. Collins, Cozart, Crawford, Dalby, 10
Duffield, Eaves, Ennett, Eubanks, Evans, D. Ferguson, C. Fite, V. Flowers, D. Garner, Gazaway, 11
Gramlich, Haak, Hawk, Holcomb, Hudson, Lynch, Maddox, McClure, McGrew, S. Meeks, Milligan, J. 12
Moore, K. Moore, Nicks, Painter, Pearce, Perry, Pilkington, Puryear, J. Richardson, Richmond, Rose, 13
Scott, T. Shephard, M. Shepherd, Steimel, Tosh, Walker, Wardlaw, Warren, D. Whitaker, Wooldridge, 14
Wooten 15
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For An Act To Be Entitled 17
AN ACT CONCERNING FE DERALLY FUNDED CHILD NUTRITION 18
PROGRAMS; TO CREATE A MEANS BY WHICH STU DENTS WHO 19
QUALIFY FOR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS AT SCHOO L RECEIVE 20
FREE MEALS AT SCHOOL ; AND FOR OTHER PURP OSES. 21
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Subtitle 24
TO CREATE A MEANS BY WHICH STUDENTS WHO 25
QUALIFY FOR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS AT SCHOOL 26
RECEIVE FREE MEALS AT SCHOOL. 27
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 30
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 7, is amended 32
to add an additional section to read as follows: 33
6-18-720. Free and reduced -price meals. 34
(a) Federal funds appropriated to the Department of Education for a 35
child nutrition program shall be used to provide school breakfasts and 36 As Engrossed: S3/29/23 S3/30/23 SB477
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lunches at no cost to each qualifying student. 1
(b)(1) A public school that serves a school breakfast or a school 2
lunch as part of a child nutrition program shall not charge a qualifying 3
student a reduced-price copayment for a school breakfast or a school lunch. 4
(2)(A) If necessary to comply with the requirements of this 5
section, the department shall provide funds that have been disbursed to the 6
department from the federal government for purposes of fundin g child 7
nutrition programs to each public school that serves a school breakfast or a 8
school lunch as part of a child nutrition program to cover the cost of 9
eliminating reduced-price copayments as required by subdivision (b)(1) of 10
this section. 11
(B) If federal funds appropriated to the department for a 12
child nutrition program are insufficient to provide a school breakfast or a 13
school lunch at no cost under subdivision (b)(2)(A) of this section, the 14
department shall use funds as authorized by law to provid e a school breakfast 15
or a school lunch not initially covered by federal funds under subsection (a) 16
of this section or other funds as authorized by law. 17
(c)(1) Annually by November 15, the Department of Education shall 18
report on and provide to the House C ommittee on Education and the Senate 19
Committee on Education an overview of each child nutrition program offered in 20
public schools. 21
(2) The report required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section 22
shall include without limitation: 23
(A) The procedure f or applying for free or reduced -price 24
meals in public schools; and 25
(B) The number of students who: 26
(i) Apply for free or reduced -price meals; 27
(ii) Are accepted to receive free or reduced -price 28
meals; 29
(iii) Are denied from receiving free or reduced-30
price meals; and 31
(iv) Automatically qualify for free or reduced -price 32
meals based on federal eligibility requirements. 33
(d)(1) Arkansas Legislative Audit shall audit the Arkansas Department 34
of Education Child Nutrition Unit by December 15, 2023, and report the audit 35
findings to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on 36 As Engrossed: S3/29/23 S3/30/23 SB477
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Education. 1
(2) The audit required under subdivision (d)(1) of this section 2
shall determine whether each public school's participation in a child 3
nutrition program effectively: 4
(A) Serves the intent of the General Assembly to expand 5
students' access to free meals in public schools; and 6
(B) Complies with federal and state law and rules. 7
(e) As used in this section: 8
(1) "Child nutrition program" includes the following as 9
established under the National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. ยง 1751 et seq., as 10
it existed on January 1, 2023: 11
(A) The National School Lunch Program; or 12
(B) The School Breakfast Program; and 13
(2) "Qualifying student" mean s a kindergarten through grade 14
twelve (K-12) student enrolled in a public school who is eligible for receipt 15
of a reduced-price meal in a child nutrition program. 16
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/s/J. Dismang 18
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APPROVED: 4/11/23 21
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