Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1605 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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30	30	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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32	32	HOUSE BILL 1605 By: Gise
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38	38	AS INTRODUCED
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40	40	An Act relating to schools; requiring certain federal
41	41	funds to be used to provide free school meals to
42	42	qualifying students; prohibiting sch ools from
43	43	charging qualifying students for reduced price meals;
44	44	allowing disbursement of funds in certain
45	45	circumstances; allowing schools to use other
46	46	authorized funds to provide free meals to qualifying
47	47	students in certain circumstances; requiring the
48	48	State Department of Education to report annually to
49	49	the Legislature; prescribing report requirements;
50	50	mandating an audit of child nutrition programs;
51	51	defining terms; providing for codification; providing
52	52	an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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58	58	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
59	59	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
60	60	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-119.2 of Title 70, unless
61	61	there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as f ollows:
62	62	A. Federal funds appropriated to the Department of Education
63	63	for a child nutrition program shall be used to provide school
64	64	breakfasts and lunches at no cost to each qualifying student.
65	65	B. A public school that serves a school breakfast or a school
66	66	lunch as part of a child nutrition program shall not charge a
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93	93	qualifying student a reduced price copayment for a school breakfast
94	94	or a school lunch.
95	95	C. 1. If necessary to comply with the requirements of this
96	96	section, the Department shall provide funds t hat have been disbursed
97	97	to the Department from the federal government for purp oses of
98	98	funding child nutrition programs to each public school that serves a
99	99	school breakfast or a school lunch as part of a child nutrition
100	100	program to cover the cost of eliminat ing reduced price copayments as
101	101	required by subparagraph B of this section.
102	102	2. If federal funds appropriated to the Department for a child
103	103	nutrition program are insufficient to provide a school breakfast or
104	104	a school lunch at no cost under paragraph 1 of this subsection, the
105	105	Department shall use funds as authorized by law to provide a school
106	106	breakfast or a school lunch not initially covered by federal funds
107	107	under subsection A of this section or other funds as authorized by
108	108	law.
109	109	D. Annually by November 15, the Department of Education shall
110	110	report on and provide to the Legislature an overview of each child
111	111	nutrition program offered in public schools. The report shall
112	112	include without limitation:
113	113	1. The procedure for applying for free or reduced price meals
114	114	in public schools; and
115	115	2. The number of students who:
116	116	a. apply for free or red uced price meals,
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143	143	b. are accepted to receive free or reduced price meals,
144	144	c. are denied from receiving free or reduced price meals ,
145	145	and
146	146	d. automatically qualify for free or reduc ed price meals
147	147	based on federal eligibility requirements ;
148	148	E. The Oklahoma Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency shall
149	149	audit the State Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs by
150	150	December 15, 2025, and report the audit findings to the Legislature.
151	151	The audit shall determine whether each public school 's participation
152	152	in a child nutrition program effectively:
153	153	1. Serves the intent of the Legislature to expand students'
154	154	access to free meals in public schools; and
155	155	2. Complies with federal and state laws and rules.
156	156	F. As used in this section:
157	157	1. "Child nutrition program " includes the following as
158	158	established under the National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. , 1751 et
159	159	seq.:
160	160	a. the National School Lunch Program , or
161	161	b. the School Breakfast Program , and
162	162	2. "Qualifying student" means a kindergarten through grade
163	163	twelve (K-12) student enrolled in a public school who is eligible
164	164	for receipt of a reduced price meal in a child nutrition program.
165	165	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1 , 2025.
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192	192	SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
193	193	of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
194	194	declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
195	195	be in full force from and after its pa ssage and approval.
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197	197	60-1-11723 SW 01/11/25