02-17 10:30 H.B. 515
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School Lunch Debt Funding
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Jennifer Dailey-Provost
Senate Sponsor:
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LONG TITLE
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General Description:
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This bill creates the School Meal Debt Relief Grant Program.
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Highlighted Provisions:
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This bill:
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▸ defines terms;
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▸ makes a technical change;
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▸ creates the School Meal Debt Relief Grant Program;
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▸ requires the State Board of Education to administer the program;
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▸ allows a local education agency to apply for a grant under the program; and
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▸ creates a conditional reporting requirement.
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Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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This bill appropriates $2,000,000 in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2026, all
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of which is from the various sources as detailed in this bill.
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Other Special Clauses:
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This bill provides a special effective date.
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Utah Code Sections Affected:
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AMENDS:
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53E-1-201, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapters 3, 460 and 525
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ENACTS:
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53F-5-224, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
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Section 1. Section 53E-1-201 is amended to read:
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53E-1-201 . Reports to and action required of the Education Interim Committee.
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(1) In accordance with applicable provisions and Section 68-3-14, the following recurring
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reports are due to the Education Interim Committee:
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(a) the report described in Section 9-22-109 by the STEM Action Center Board,
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including the information described in Section 9-22-113 on the status of the computer
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science initiative and Section 9-22-114 on the Computing Partnerships Grants
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Program;
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(b) the prioritized list of data research described in Section 53B-33-302 and the report on
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research and activities described in Section 53B-33-304 by the Utah Data Research
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Center;
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(c) the report described in Section 53B-1-402 by the Utah Board of Higher Education on
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career and technical education issues and addressing workforce needs;
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(d) the annual report of the Utah Board of Higher Education described in Section
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53B-1-402;
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(e) the reports described in Section 53B-28-401 by the Utah Board of Higher Education
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regarding activities related to campus safety;
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(f) the State Superintendent's Annual Report by the state board described in Section
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53E-1-203;
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(g) the annual report described in Section 53E-2-202 by the state board on the strategic
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plan to improve student outcomes;
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(h) the report described in Section 53E-8-204 by the state board on the Utah Schools for
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the Deaf and the Blind;
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(i) the report described in Section 53E-10-703 by the Utah Leading through Effective,
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Actionable, and Dynamic Education director on research and other activities;
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(j) the report described in Section 53F-2-522 regarding mental health screening
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programs;
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(k) the report described in Section 53F-4-203 by the state board and the independent
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evaluator on an evaluation of early interactive reading software;
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(l) the report described in Section 63N-20-107 by the Governor's Office of Economic
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Opportunity on UPSTART;
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(m) the reports described in Sections 53F-5-214 and 53F-5-215 by the state board
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related to grants for professional learning and grants for an elementary teacher
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preparation assessment;
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(n) upon request, the report described in Section 53F-5-219 by the state board on the
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Local Innovations Civics Education Pilot Program;
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(o) the report described in Section 53F-5-405 by the state board regarding an evaluation
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of a partnership that receives a grant to improve educational outcomes for students
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who are low income;
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(p) the report described in Section 53B-35-202 regarding the Higher Education and
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Corrections Council;
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(q) the report described in Section 53G-7-221 by the state board regarding innovation
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plans; and
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(r) the reports described in Section 53F-6-412 regarding the Utah Fits All Scholarship
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Program.
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(2) In accordance with applicable provisions and Section 68-3-14, the following occasional
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reports are due to the Education Interim Committee:
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(a) in 2027, 2030, 2033, and 2035, the reports described in Sections 53B-1-116,
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53B-1-117, and 53B-1-118;
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(b) if required, the report described in Section 53E-4-309 by the state board explaining
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the reasons for changing the grade level specification for the administration of
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specific assessments;
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(c) if required, the report described in Section 53E-5-210 by the state board of an
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adjustment to the minimum level that demonstrates proficiency for each statewide
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assessment;
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(d) the report described in Section 53E-10-702 by Utah Leading through Effective,
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Actionable, and Dynamic Education;
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(e) if required, the report described in Section 53F-2-513 by the state board evaluating
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the effects of salary bonuses on the recruitment and retention of effective teachers in
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high poverty schools;
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(f) upon request, a report described in Section 53F-5-224 by the state board on the
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School Meal Debt Relief Grant Program;
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[(f)] (g) upon request, a report described in Section 53G-7-222 by an LEA regarding
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expenditure of a percentage of state restricted funds to support an innovative
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education program;
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[(g)] (h) the reports described in Section 53G-11-304 by the state board regarding
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proposed rules and results related to educator exit surveys; and
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[(h)] (i) the report described in Section 26B-5-113 by the Office of Substance Use and
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Mental Health, the state board, and the Department of Health and Human Services
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regarding recommendations related to Medicaid reimbursement for school-based
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health services.
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Section 2. Section 53F-5-224 is enacted to read:
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53F-5-224 . School Meal Debt Relief Grant Program.
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(1) As used in this section:
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(a) "Eligible school" means a public school where a student currently enrolled at the
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school has outstanding debt for school meals.
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(b) "Program" means the School Meal Debt Relief Grant Program created in Subsection
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(2).
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(2) There is created the School Meal Debt Relief Grant Program to provide funding to
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relieve school meal debt in an LEA.
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(3) Beginning September 1, 2026, and subject to legislative appropriations, the state board
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shall:
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(a) in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,
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make rules to:
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(i) create an application process for an LEA to apply for program funds;
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(ii) select an eligible school to receive program funds in accordance with Subsection
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(3)(b); and
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(iii) establish a system to distribute program funds to an eligible school the state
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board selects to receive program funds through the program; and
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(b) prioritize applications and distribute program funds to an eligible school based on:
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(i) the greatest need for program funds; and
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(ii) the potential benefit program funds may have on a school or community.
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(4)(a) An LEA may submit an application to receive program funds under this section.
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(b) In the LEA's application, the LEA shall:
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(i) identify an eligible school within the LEA requesting program funds;
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(ii) provide a statement of outstanding school meal debt of students currently enrolled
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at an eligible school;
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(iii) provide verification proving that the school meal debt for which an LEA is
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requesting relief is from students currently enrolled a the eligible school; and
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(iv) provide assurance that other federal or state school meals programs did not
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already cover the debt.
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(5) An LEA that receives program funds may:
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(a) only use the program funds to relieve school meal debt of a student currently
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enrolled within the LEA; and
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(b) not use program funds to pay off school meal debt of a student who qualifies for free
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meals under a federal or state meal assistance program.
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(6) Upon request of the Education Interim Committee, the state board shall report to the
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Education Interim Committee on:
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(a) the implementation of the program;
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(b) the number of applications the state board accepts;
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(c) the use of program funds; and
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(d) the impact of program funds on school meal debt at an LEA to which the state board
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awards program funds.
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Section 3. FY 2026 Appropriations.
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The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
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2025, and ending June 30, 2026. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
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fiscal year 2026.
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Subsection 3(a). Operating and Capital Budgets
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Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the
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Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for
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the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
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ITEM 1 To State Board of Education - Child Nutrition Programs
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From Public Education Economic Stabilization
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Restricted Account, One-time 2,000,000
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Schedule of Programs:
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Child Nutrition 2,000,000
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Section 4. Effective Date.
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This bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.
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