EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0769*
SENATE BILL 769
F1 5lr1295
SB 579/24 – B&T & EEE CF 5lr1293
By: Senator Guzzone
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2025
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation and Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program 3
in the State Department of Education to provide funding to eligible schools that 4
participate in the federal community eligibility provision of the child nutrition 5
programs; and generally relating to the Community Eligibility Provision Expansion 6
Program. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Education 9
Section 7–606 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Education 15
7–606. 16
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROGRAM” MEANS THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY 17
PROVISION EXPANSION PROGRAM. 18
(B) THERE IS A COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION EXPANSION 19
PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT . 20
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE PROGRAM. 21
(D) (1) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING IN 22 2 SENATE BILL 769
ACCORDANCE WITH PARA GRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION T O ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS 1
THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE FEDERAL COMMUNIT Y ELIGIBILITY PR OVISION OF THE 2
CHILD NUTRITION PROG RAMS. 3
(2) THE STATE SHALL PAY THE D IFFERENCE BETWEEN TH E 4
APPLICABLE FEDERAL P AID REIMBURSEMENT RA TE AND THE FEDERAL F REE 5
REIMBURSEMENT RATE , AS SET ANNUALLY BY T HE U.S. SECRETARY OF 6
AGRICULTURE UNDER 42 U.S.C. § 1759A. 7
(3) THE FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED T O 8
COMPLEMENT AND NOT R EPLACE FEDERAL FUNDS RECEIVED UNDER THE 9
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILIT Y PROVISION OF THE C HILD NUTRITION PROGR AMS. 10
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 11
(1) DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR COUNTY BOARDS TO PARTICIPAT E IN 12
THE PROGRAM BASED ON FUND ING AVAILABILITY; 13
(2) ENSURE THAT PROGRAM FUNDING IS DI STRIBUTED BASED ON 14
THE CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY IN PUBLIC SC HOOLS WITHIN THE JUR ISDICTION 15
OF THE COUNTY BOARD ; 16
(3) CONSIDER GEOGRAPHIC D IVERSITY IN DETERMINING FUNDI NG 17
PRIORITIZATION ; AND 18
(4) DISTRIBUTE FUNDS TO E LIGIBLE COUNTY BOARD S. 19
(F) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 20
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E AN APPROPRIATION O F $10,000,000 IN THE ANNUAL 21
BUDGET BILL FOR THE PROGRAM. 22
(G) IT IS THE INTENT OF T HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT THE STATE, EACH 23
COUNTY BOARD , AND PARTICIPATING NO NPUBLIC SCHOOLS MAXI MIZE THE USE OF 24
ALL AVAILABLE FEDERA L AND STATE FUNDS IN CARRYI NG OUT THE REQUIREME NTS 25
OF THE PROGRAM. 26
(H) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2026, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER , THE 27
DEPARTMENT SHALL REPO RT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 28
§ 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE STATUS AND OU TCOME OF 29
THE PROGRAM. 30
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effe ct July 31
1, 2025. 32