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OLR Bill Analysis
SB 929
AN ACT EXPANDING SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE
FREE SCHOOL MEALS TO ALL STUDENTS.
SUMMARY
This bill requires local and regional boards of education to (1)
establish and operate a school lunch program and (2) provide lunch
meals free of cost to all students regardless of economic status. For
school boards that choose to operate breakfast and other child feeding
programs as allowed under current law, the bill requires them to be free
to all students.
The bill also makes corresponding changes by eliminating provisions
it makes obsolete, such as the provision that requires school boards to
have a policy to prohibit employees and third-party vendors from
identifying and shaming kids for unpaid lunch charges.
The bill also requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to annually
provide grants, at least equal to what it is authorized to spend under
current law, to local and regional boards of education; the Technical
Education and Career System; and the governing authority of a state
charter school, interdistrict magnet school, or endowed academy that
participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and operates
a school lunch, breakfast, or other child feeding program. Current law
authorizes SBE to spend these amounts within available appropriations.
The bill also makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
LUNCH, BREAKFAST, AN D OTHER CHILD FEEDING PROGRA MS
Programs
Current law allows local and regional boards of education to 2023SB-00929-R000047-BA.DOCX
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establish and operate a lunch program for public school children as
provided under federal law. The bill requires, rather than allows, them
to do so.
Under the law, unchanged by the bill, a school board may (1) operate
lunch services for its employees, (2) establish and operate a school
breakfast program, as provided under federal law, or (3) establish and
operate other child feeding programs it finds necessary.
Charge
Under current law, school boards that operate lunch, breakfast, or
other child feeding programs (1) are prohibited from charging more
than the cost of food, wages, and other expenses directly had in
providing these services and (2) must provide the meals free of charge
only to children who meet the federal economic needs standard. Instead,
under the bill school boards operating any of these programs must
provide these meals free of charge to all students regardless of economic
status.
Gifts, Donations, or Grants
Current law allows local or regional boards of education to accept
gifts, donations, or grants from any public or private source to pay off
unpaid student meal charges. The bill allows the boards to use these
funds to provide free meals to students instead.
Obsolete Provisions
The bill eliminates provisions that it makes obsolete, such as the
requirement that school boards, in any policy or procedure for
employees and third-party vendors collecting unpaid charges, include
a (1) prohibition on identifying or shaming a child for unpaid meal
charges and (2) requirement for procedures to communicate with
parents or guardians about collecting a child’s unpaid meal charges.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCA TION GRANTS
Current law authorizes SBE, within available appropriations, to
expend in each fiscal year an amount equal to (1) the money required
under the federal matching requirements, which it must disburse in 2023SB-00929-R000047-BA.DOCX
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accordance with federal law and (2) 10 cents per lunch served in the
prior school year, following federal law, by the local and regional boards
of education; the Technical Education and Career System; and the
governing authority of a state charter school, interdistrict magnet
school, or endowed academy that participates in the NSLP and operates
a school lunch, breakfast, or other child feeding program. Instead, the
bill requires SBE to provide at least these amounts as annual grants to
each of these boards, systems, and governing authorities, who must
certify that State Department of Education (SDE) standards were met.
BACKGROUND
Related Act
PA 23-1, § 1, adjusts the federal American Rescue Plan Act funding
allocations for FY 23 by reducing the allocation to the Office of Policy
and Management for Invest Connecticut by $60 million and reallocating
these funds to SDE for free school meals for students, increasing the
current allocation to SDE from $30 million to $90 million.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Committee on Children
Joint Favorable
Yea 14 Nay 5 (02/28/2023)