THE SENATE S.B. NO. 1192 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to school meals. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
THE SENATE S.B. NO. 1192
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
1192
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to school meals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the board of education has proposed an increase to meal costs paid by students. Presently, students are required to pay for half of the meal program costs. However, an increase to a student's payment obligation may create barriers for students accessing school meals, particularly for families facing financial hardship. The legislature further finds that while existing law prohibits schools from denying meals to students under certain circumstances, students do not have complete protection against meal denial or stigmatizing practices if the student's meal fund account balance is zero or negative. Ensuring adequate nutrition for students is vital for physical health, well-being, and academic performance. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to: (1) Prohibit denial of a school meal solely for a student's inability to pay for the meal due to a zero or negative meal fund account balance; (2) Require the department of education and department schools to utilize existing data to certify that all eligible students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals receive assistance; (3) Prohibit the public identification or stigmatization of a student who is unable to pay for a school meal, including certain identification practices; and (4) Require the department of education to directly communicate with a student's parent or guardian regarding an unpaid balance. SECTION 2. Section 302A-404, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows: "§302A-404 School meals. (a) School meals shall be made available under the school meals program in every school where the students are required to eat meals at school. (b) No student shall be denied a meal solely for failure to pay[: (1) Within the first twenty-one days of the first semester of a school year while the student's application for free or reduced lunch is being processed; or (2) Within seven days after a student's meal fund account reaches] for the meal due to a zero or negative meal fund account balance. (c) [The department may adopt rules or policies governing the collection of funds for student meal accounts with a negative fund balance; provided that no rule or policy shall prohibit feeding a student as required pursuant to subsection (b).] The department and each school shall exhaust all options to directly certify students for free or reduced-price meals using exiting data sources including but not limited to: (1) Participation in federal assistance programs; (2) Medicaid or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility; or (3) Other government or agency records that establish eligibility. (d) No school shall publicly identify or stigmatize a student for the student's inability to pay for school meals, including but not limited to: (1) Requiring the student to wear a wristband, hand stamp, or any other identifying marker; (2) Assigning the student chores or other tasks to pay for a meal; or (3) Requiring the student to dispose of a meal once it has been served, regardless of the student's ability to pay. (e) All communications regarding unpaid meal fees or negative meal fund account balances shall be directed to the student's parent or guardian. If a student's meal fund account balance is unpaid, the school shall attempt to directly contact the student's parent or guardian to inform the parent or guardian of the unpaid balance." SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the board of education has proposed an increase to meal costs paid by students. Presently, students are required to pay for half of the meal program costs. However, an increase to a student's payment obligation may create barriers for students accessing school meals, particularly for families facing financial hardship.
The legislature further finds that while existing law prohibits schools from denying meals to students under certain circumstances, students do not have complete protection against meal denial or stigmatizing practices if the student's meal fund account balance is zero or negative. Ensuring adequate nutrition for students is vital for physical health, well-being, and academic performance.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Prohibit denial of a school meal solely for a student's inability to pay for the meal due to a zero or negative meal fund account balance;
(2) Require the department of education and department schools to utilize existing data to certify that all eligible students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals receive assistance;
(3) Prohibit the public identification or stigmatization of a student who is unable to pay for a school meal, including certain identification practices; and
(4) Require the department of education to directly communicate with a student's parent or guardian regarding an unpaid balance.
SECTION 2. Section 302A-404, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§302A-404 School meals. (a) School meals shall be made available under the school meals program in every school where the students are required to eat meals at school.
(b) No student shall be denied a meal solely for failure to pay[:
(1) Within the first twenty-one days of the first semester of a school year while the student's application for free or reduced lunch is being processed; or
(2) Within seven days after a student's meal fund account reaches]
for the meal due to a zero or negative meal fund account balance.
(c) [The department may adopt rules or policies governing the collection of funds for student meal accounts with a negative fund balance; provided that no rule or policy shall prohibit feeding a student as required pursuant to subsection (b).] The department and each school shall exhaust all options to directly certify students for free or reduced-price meals using exiting data sources including but not limited to:
(1) Participation in federal assistance programs;
(2) Medicaid or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility; or
(3) Other government or agency records that establish eligibility.
(d) No school shall publicly identify or stigmatize a student for the student's inability to pay for school meals, including but not limited to:
(1) Requiring the student to wear a wristband, hand stamp, or any other identifying marker;
(2) Assigning the student chores or other tasks to pay for a meal; or
(3) Requiring the student to dispose of a meal once it has been served, regardless of the student's ability to pay.
(e) All communications regarding unpaid meal fees or negative meal fund account balances shall be directed to the student's parent or guardian. If a student's meal fund account balance is unpaid, the school shall attempt to directly contact the student's parent or guardian to inform the parent or guardian of the unpaid balance."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title: DOE; School Meals; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Unpaid Account Balances; Zero or Negative Account Balances; Stigmatization; Public Identification; Prohibited; Notification Description: Prohibits the denial of a school meal to a student based on the student's ability to pay. Requires the Department of Education and department schools to certify that all students eligible for certain programs receive free or reduced-price meals. Prohibits a department school from publicly identifying or stigmatizing a student. Requires the school to directly inform a parent or guardian regarding a student's unpaid meal fund account balance. The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
Report Title:
DOE; School Meals; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Unpaid Account Balances; Zero or Negative Account Balances; Stigmatization; Public Identification; Prohibited; Notification
Description:
Prohibits the denial of a school meal to a student based on the student's ability to pay. Requires the Department of Education and department schools to certify that all students eligible for certain programs receive free or reduced-price meals. Prohibits a department school from publicly identifying or stigmatizing a student. Requires the school to directly inform a parent or guardian regarding a student's unpaid meal fund account balance.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.