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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1217
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 3862
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT PROVIDING SCHOOL MEALS TO ALL STUDENTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-215 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) [Any] Each local [or] and regional board of education [may] shall 3
establish and operate a school lunch program for public school children, 4
may operate lunch services for its employees, may establish and operate 5
a school breakfast program, as provided under federal laws governing 6
said programs, or may establish and operate such other child feeding 7
programs as it deems necessary. [Charges] No board may charge for 8
such school lunches, school breakfasts or other such child feeding. [may 9
be fixed by such boards and shall not exceed the cost of food, wages and 10
other expenses directly incurred in providing such services.] When such 11
[services] programs are offered, a board shall provide free school 12
lunches, school breakfasts or other such child feeding to [children whose 13
economic needs require such action under the standards promulgated 14
by said federal laws] all students. Such board is authorized to purchase 15
equipment and supplies that are necessary, to employ the necessary 16 Raised Bill No. 1217
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personnel, to utilize the services of volunteers and to receive and expend 17
any funds and receive and use any equipment and supplies which may 18
become available to carry out the provisions of this section. Any town 19
board of education may vote to designate any volunteer organization 20
within the town to provide a school lunch program, school breakfast 21
program or other child feeding program in accordance with the 22
provisions of this section. 23
[(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2021, and each school 24
year thereafter, a local or regional board of education shall include in 25
any policy or procedure for the collection of unpaid charges for school 26
lunches, breakfasts or other such feeding applicable to employees and 27
third-party vendors of such school lunches, breakfasts or such feeding 28
(1) a prohibition on publicly identifying or shaming a child for any such 29
unpaid charges, including, but not limited to, delaying or refusing to 30
serve a meal to such child, designating a specific meal option for such 31
child or otherwise taking any disciplinary action against such child, (2) 32
a declaration of the right for any child to purchase a meal, which meal 33
may exclude any a la carte items or be limited to one meal for any school 34
lunch, breakfast or other such feeding, and (3) a procedure for 35
communicating with the parent or legal guardian of a child for the 36
purpose of collecting such unpaid charges. Such communication shall 37
include, but not be limited to, (A) information regarding local food 38
pantries, (B) applications for the school district's program for free or 39
reduced priced meals and for the supplemental nutrition assistance 40
program administered by the Department of Social Services, and (C) a 41
link to the Internet web site maintained by the town for such school 42
district listing any community services available to the residents of such 43
town. In the event the unpaid charges for school lunches, breakfasts or 44
other such feeding due from any parent or legal guardian are equal to 45
or more than the cost of thirty meals, the local or regional board of 46
education shall refer such parent or legal guardian to the local homeless 47
education liaison designated by such board, pursuant to Subtitle B of 48
Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 USC 11431 49
et seq., as amended from time to time.] 50 Raised Bill No. 1217
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[(c)] (b) A local or regional board of education may accept gifts, 51
donations or grants from any public or private sources for the purpose 52
of [paying off any unpaid charges for] providing such school lunches, 53
school breakfasts or other such child feeding. 54
Sec. 2. Section 10-215b of the general statutes is repealed and the 55
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 56
(a) The State Board of Education [is authorized to expend in each 57
fiscal year, within available appropriations,] shall annually provide 58
grants to local and regional boards of education, the Technical 59
Education and Career System and the governing authority of a state 60
charter school, interdistrict magnet school or endowed academy 61
approved pursuant to section 10-34 that participates in the National 62
School Lunch Program and operates a school lunch program, school 63
breakfast program or other child feeding program pursuant to section 64
10-215, as amended by this act, provided the state board expends in each 65
fiscal year an amount equal to (1) the money required pursuant to the 66
matching requirements of said federal laws and shall disburse the same 67
in accordance with said laws, and (2) at least ten cents per lunch served 68
in the prior school year in accordance with said laws. [by any local or 69
regional board of education, the Technical Education and Career System 70
or governing authority of a state charter school, interdistrict magnet 71
school or endowed academy approved pursuant to section 10-34 that 72
participates in the National School Lunch Program and certifies] Each 73
such board, system and governing authority shall certify, pursuant to 74
section 10-215f, that the nutrition standards established by the 75
Department of Education, pursuant to section 10-215e, [shall be] have 76
been met. 77
(b) The State Board of Education shall prescribe the manner and time 78
of application by such board of education, the Technical Education and 79
Career System, such governing authority or controlling authority of the 80
nonpublic schools for such funds, provided such application shall 81
include the certification that any funds received pursuant to subsection 82
(a) of this section shall be used for the program approved. The State 83 Raised Bill No. 1217
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Board of Education shall determine the eligibility of the applicant to 84
receive such grants pursuant to regulations provided in subsection (c) 85
of this section and shall certify to the Comptroller the amount of the 86
grant for which the board of education, the Technical Education and 87
Career System, the governing authority or the controlling authority of a 88
nonpublic school is eligible. Upon receipt of such certification, the 89
Comptroller shall draw an order on the Treasurer in the amount, at the 90
time and to the payee so certified. 91
(c) The State Board of Education may adopt such regulations as may 92
be necessary in implementing sections 10-215 to 10-215b, inclusive, as 93
amended by this act. 94
(d) The Commissioner of Education shall establish a procedure for 95
monitoring compliance by boards of education, the Technical Education 96
and Career System, or governing authorities with certifications 97
submitted in accordance with section 10-215f and may adjust grant 98
amounts pursuant to [subdivision (2) of] subsection (a) of this section 99
based on failure to comply with [said] such certification. 100
(e) The Commissioner of Education may temporarily waive any 101
provision or modify any requirements of this section or section 10-215, 102
as amended by this act, 10-215a, 10-215e or 10-215f, in response to any 103
changes in federal law or waivers issued by the United States 104
Department of Agriculture, to ensure that local and regional boards of 105
education continue to receive the funds described in this section. 106
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 10-215
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 10-215b
KID Joint Favorable C/R APP