Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2526 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R3428 RDR-F
2	2	By: A. Davis of Dallas H.B. No. 2526
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to school district grace period policies and the provision
10	10	of meals to public school students with insufficient balances on
11	11	prepaid meal cards or in meal accounts.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 33.908, Education Code, is amended to
14	14	read as follows:
15	15	Sec. 33.908. GRACE PERIOD POLICY FOR EXHAUSTED OR
16	16	INSUFFICIENT MEAL CARD OR ACCOUNT BALANCE. (a) In this section,
17	17	"regular meal" means a meal for which a school district ordinarily
18	18	receives reimbursement under the national free or reduced-price
19	19	lunch program established under 42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq.
20	20	(b) The board of trustees of a school district that allows
21	21	students to use a prepaid meal card or account to purchase meals
22	22	served at schools in the district shall adopt a grace period policy
23	23	regarding the use of the cards or accounts. The policy:
24	24	(1) must allow a student whose meal card or account
25	25	balance is exhausted or insufficient to continue, for a period
26	26	determined by the board of at least one week, to purchase regular
27	27	meals by:
28	28	(A) accumulating a negative balance on the
29	29	student's card or account; or
30	30	(B) otherwise receiving an extension of credit
31	31	from the district;
32	32	(2) must require the district to make at least three
33	33	attempts during the period described by Subdivision (1) to
34	34	privately:
35	35	(A) notify the parent of or person standing in
36	36	parental relation to the student that the student's meal card or
37	37	account balance is exhausted, including by sending home with the
38	38	student in an unmarked envelope a written notice of a negative
39	39	balance or other amount due and an application for free or
40	40	reduced-price meals;
41	41	(B) make arrangements with the parent or other
42	42	person for payment of negative balances or amounts otherwise due,
43	43	including through use of a payment plan; and
44	44	(C) assist the parent or other person in
45	45	completing an application on behalf of the student for free or
46	46	reduced-price meals, if it is determined that the student may be
47	47	eligible for free or reduced-price meals;
48	48	(3) may not permit the district to charge a fee or
49	49	interest in connection with meals purchased under Subdivision (1);
50	50	and
51	51	(4) may permit the district to set a schedule for
52	52	repayment on the account balance or other amount due if the district
53	53	is unable to set a repayment schedule by agreement through efforts
54	54	required under Subdivision (2) [as part of the notice to the parent
55	55	or person standing in parental relation to the student].
56	56	(c) After expiration of the period described by Subsection
57	57	(b)(1) and completion of duties required under Subsection (b)(2),
58	58	the school district shall continue to provide to the student
59	59	regular meals as described by Subsection (b)(1) at no cost to the
60	60	student.
61	61	(d) If a school district is unable to obtain payment
62	62	sufficient to cover the negative balance or extension of credit on a
63	63	student's meal card or account from the student's parent or a person
64	64	standing in parental relation to the student before the end of the
65	65	school year, the district:
66	66	(1) may apply toward the negative balance or credit
67	67	private donations solicited for that purpose and maintained in a
68	68	separate district account;
69	69	(2) shall provide the parent or other person with an
70	70	application on behalf of the student for free or reduced-price
71	71	meals, if the district determines that the student may be eligible
72	72	for free or reduced-price meals in the subsequent school year; and
73	73	(3) may not transfer a negative balance on a student's
74	74	meal card or account to the meal card or account held by the student
75	75	in a subsequent school year.
76	76	(e) A school district may not require a student to repeat a
77	77	grade level, prevent a student from graduating, withhold a diploma
78	78	from a student, or prohibit a student from participating in
79	79	school-related activity due to a negative balance or extension of
80	80	credit on the student's meal card or account.
81	81	(f) A school district may not publicly identify a student
82	82	with a negative balance or extension of credit on a meal card or
83	83	account and must implement an action authorized under this section
84	84	in a manner that does not stigmatize or cause embarrassment to a
85	85	student.
86	86	SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
87	87	school year.
88	88	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
89	89	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
90	90	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
91	91	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
92	92	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.