Bill > H4434

This bill aims to promote student nutrition by encouraging school districts to adopt policies that: (1) increase access to healthy meals for all students; (2) maximize federal reimbursement for these meals; and (3) reduce school meal debt for families. The key provisions include: 1. Allowing school districts that waive the reduced-price meal fee to receive reimbursement from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, provided they offer families assistance in applying for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 2. Requiring school districts and individual schools with a high percentage of low-income students to implement the federal Community Eligibility Provision or Provision 2 to provide universal free school breakfast and lunch, unless they can justify financial hardship. 3. Requiring school districts to notify parents/guardians when a student's meal account has a negative balance and provide information on how to apply for free or reduced-price meals and SNAP benefits. 4. Prohibiting school districts from certain actions that would publicly identify students with unpaid meal debt or deny them access to a regular meal as punishment. Overall, the bill aims to increase access to nutritious meals for all students, reduce financial burdens on families, and minimize the stigma associated with unpaid meal debt.

Health and Social Services

Committee on Education (J)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H4434