87R9594 BDP-D
By: Talarico H.B. No. 4112
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to funding for the provision of meals to public school
students with insufficient balances on prepaid meal cards or meal
accounts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 33.908, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 33.908. FUNDING [GRACE PERIOD POLICY] FOR EXHAUSTED OR
INSUFFICIENT MEAL CARD OR ACCOUNT BALANCE. (a) Each [The board of
trustees of a] school district that allows students to use a prepaid
meal card or account to purchase meals served at a campus [schools]
in the district [shall adopt a grace period policy regarding the use
of the cards or accounts. The policy]:
(1) must allow a student whose meal card or account
balance is exhausted or insufficient to continue, for the entire
school year [a period determined by the board], to purchase meals
by:
(A) accumulating a negative balance on the
student's card or account; or
(B) otherwise receiving an extension of credit
from the district; and
(2) [must require the district to notify the parent of
or person standing in parental relation to the student that the
student's meal card or account balance is exhausted;
[(3)] may not [permit the district to] charge a fee or
interest in connection with meals purchased under Subdivision (1)[;
and
[(4) may permit the district to set a schedule for
repayment on the account balance as part of the notice to the parent
or person standing in parental relation to the student].
(b) At the end of each school year, from funds available for
the purpose, the agency shall provide a grant to each district in
the amount necessary to pay the negative balance for each student
whose meal card or account balance is exhausted or insufficient,
excluding:
(1) any amount the school district received from
private donations from individuals and entities for the purpose of
paying the negative balance on a student's meal card or account; and
(2) any amount of reimbursement to which the district
is entitled under federal law.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
school year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2021.