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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 766 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 603
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Andres X. Vargas
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to universal school meals.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Andres X. Vargas3rd Essex1/17/2023Jay D. Livingstone8th Suffolk1/20/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex1/20/2023Kathleen R. LaNatra12th Plymouth1/24/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/24/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/24/2023Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/24/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/24/2023Adam Scanlon14th Bristol1/24/2023Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/24/2023Michael P. Kushmerek3rd Worcester1/24/2023Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk1/24/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/24/2023Nick CollinsFirst Suffolk1/24/2023Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/25/2023Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex1/25/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester1/25/2023Patricia A. Duffy5th Hampden1/25/2023 2 of 4
Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/25/2023Michelle L. Ciccolo15th Middlesex1/25/2023Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex1/25/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex1/25/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/25/2023Kate Donaghue19th Worcester1/26/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk1/26/2023Manny Cruz7th Essex1/26/2023John Barrett, III1st Berkshire1/26/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/26/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex1/26/2023Frank A. Moran17th Essex1/26/2023Mathew J. Muratore1st Plymouth1/26/2023Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk1/26/2023Francisco E. Paulino16th Essex1/26/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex1/26/2023Joseph D. McKenna18th Worcester1/26/2023David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex1/26/2023Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk1/26/2023Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex1/26/2023Simon Cataldo14th Middlesex1/27/2023Adrianne Pusateri Ramos14th Essex1/27/2023Paul J. Donato35th Middlesex1/27/2023Michael J. Soter8th Worcester1/27/2023Bruce J. Ayers1st Norfolk1/27/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/27/2023Jennifer Balinsky Armini8th Essex1/27/2023Ruth B. Balser12th Middlesex1/27/2023William J. Driscoll, Jr.7th Norfolk1/27/2023Jessica Ann Giannino16th Suffolk1/27/2023David M. Rogers24th Middlesex1/27/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/27/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/27/2023Richard M. Haggerty30th Middlesex1/27/2023Kenneth I. Gordon21st Middlesex1/30/2023Judith A. Garcia11th Suffolk1/30/2023Angelo L. D'Emilia8th Plymouth1/30/2023Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin1/30/2023Kevin G. Honan17th Suffolk1/30/2023 3 of 4
Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/30/2023Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex1/30/2023Ryan M. Hamilton15th Essex1/30/2023Walter F. TimiltyNorfolk, Plymouth and Bristol1/31/2023Meghan Kilcoyne12th Worcester1/31/2023William C. Galvin6th Norfolk1/31/2023Mike Connolly26th Middlesex1/31/2023Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.12th Hampden2/1/2023Kay Khan11th Middlesex2/1/2023Rita A. Mendes11th Plymouth2/1/2023Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/1/2023Daniel Cahill10th Essex2/1/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/1/2023Paul A. Schmid, III8th Bristol2/1/2023Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk2/1/2023Marcus S. Vaughn9th Norfolk2/1/2023Thomas P. Walsh12th Essex2/2/2023Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk2/2/2023Susan Williams Gifford2nd Plymouth2/2/2023Antonio F. D. Cabral13th Bristol2/2/2023Pavel M. PayanoFirst Essex2/2/2023Adrian C. Madaro1st Suffolk2/3/2023David K. Muradian, Jr.9th Worcester2/6/2023Bud L. Williams11th Hampden2/6/2023Daniel R. Carey2nd Hampshire2/6/2023Jon Santiago9th Suffolk2/6/2023Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester2/6/2023Christopher Hendricks11th Bristol2/7/2023Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire2/8/2023Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/9/2023Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/9/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/9/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/9/2023Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr.28th Middlesex2/10/2023F. Jay Barrows1st Bristol2/10/2023Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex2/14/2023Rob Consalvo14th Suffolk2/14/2023Denise C. Garlick13th Norfolk2/15/2023James Arciero2nd Middlesex2/15/2023 4 of 4
Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth2/16/2023Josh S. Cutler6th Plymouth2/17/2023Aaron L. Saunders7th Hampden2/21/2023Kate Lipper-Garabedian32nd Middlesex2/22/2023Estela A. Reyes4th Essex2/22/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex2/28/2023Daniel M. Donahue16th Worcester2/28/2023Carlos González10th Hampden3/1/2023Russell E. Holmes6th Suffolk3/1/2023Smitty Pignatelli3rd Berkshire3/2/2023Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk3/5/2023Dylan A. FernandesBarnstable, Dukes and Nantucket3/8/2023Christopher J. Worrell5th Suffolk3/8/2023James M. Murphy4th Norfolk3/13/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 766 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 603
By Representative Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 603) of
Andres X. Vargas and others relative to universal school meals and requiring schools to promote
the supplemental nutrition assistance program to families. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 714 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to universal school meals.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 1C of Chapter 69 of the General Law, as appearing in the 2018
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the third paragraph the following:- “The
3board shall require all schools providing school lunch as provided in the National School Lunch
4Act as amended or school breakfast as provided in the National Child Nutrition Act as amended,
5to make breakfast and lunch available at no charge to each attending student. Schools shall
6maximize access to federal funds for the cost of school breakfast and lunch programs by
7adopting the federal Community Eligibility Provision, Provision 2, or other provisions under
8these acts.
9 To the extent that costs are not reimbursed through federal funds the cost of making
10available school lunches and breakfasts shall be borne by the department of elementary and 2 of 2
11secondary education. The department shall reimburse the difference between the amount paid by
12the United States Department of Agriculture and the free rate as set annually by the United States
13Secretary of Agriculture under 42 U.S.C. 1759a for each school.
14 The department, in consultation with the department of transitional assistance, shall
15promulgate regulations for schools to promote the supplemental nutrition assistance program to
16families by either providing application assistance or a direct referral to an outreach partner
17identified by the department of transitional assistance or department of elementary and secondary
18education.”
19 SECTION 2: Sections under this act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.