FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 131
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MOSLEY.
0056S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 167, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to school meals.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 167, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 167.204, to read as 2
follows:3
167.204. 1. This section shall be known and may be 1
cited as the "Missouri School Meals Act". 2
2. As used in this section, the term "school" shall 3
mean any public school district, public schoo l, public 4
charter school, or private, religious, or parochial school 5
that participates in the National School Lunch Program 6
administered by the United States Department of Agriculture 7
(USDA), or such program's successor, but that does not 8
participate in the Community Eligibility Provision 9
administered by the USDA, or such provision's successor. 10
3. A school shall provide a free lunch to each student 11
who has been approved to receive a reduced price lunch under 12
the National School Lunch Program o r its successor program. 13
Subject to appropriation, the state board of education shall 14
reimburse schools the difference between the total cost of 15
each lunch provided under this subsection and the federal 16
reimbursement rate for each lunch provided under this 17
subsection. 18 SB 131 2
4. A school shall determine which students may be 19
eligible for free or reduced price lunch through the 20
National School Lunch Program or its successor program and 21
shall provide information and assistance to parents and 22
guardians of such students for purposes of filling out an 23
application. 24
5. A school shall not publicly identify or otherwise 25
stigmatize a student who is or may be eligible for free or 26
reduced price lunch. A student's application for the 27
National School Lunch Program or its successor program shall 28
be used only for federal reimbursement and for state aid 29
calculations under chapter 163. 30
6. (1) There is hereby created in the state treasury 31
the "School Meals Fund", which shall consist of moneys 32
appropriated by the general assembly for the purposes of 33
implementing the provisions of this section. The state 34
treasurer shall be custodian of the fund. In accordance 35
with sections 30.170 and 30.180, the state treasurer may 36
approve disbursements. The fund shall be a dedicated fund 37
and money in the fund shall be used solely by the state 38
board of education for the purposes of reimbursing schools 39
as provided in subsection 3 of this section. 40
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 33.080 41
to the contrary, any moneys remaining in the fund at the end 42
of the biennium shall not revert to the credit of the 43
general revenue fund. 44
(3) The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the 45
fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any 46
interest and moneys earned on such investments shall be 47
credited to the fund. 48
7. The state board of education shall promulgate rules 49
and regulations for the implementation of this section. 50 SB 131 3
Such rules shall include the process by which schools may 51
apply for reimbursement as provided in subsection 3 of this 52
section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is 53
defined in section 536.010, that is created under the 54
authority delegated in this section shall become effective 55
only if it complies with and is subject to all of the 56
provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 57
536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and 58
if any of the powers vested with the general assembly 59
pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effect ive 60
date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently 61
held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking 62
authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 63
2025, shall be invalid and void. 64