Bill > HF5

This bill proposes to provide free school lunch and breakfast for all students in Minnesota. The key provisions include: 1. Establishing a "Free School Meals Program" within the Department of Education, where schools with an Identified Student Percentage below a federal threshold must participate and provide free meals to all students, while schools above the threshold must participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision. 2. Providing state funding to cover the difference between the federal reimbursement rate for free meals and the actual federal reimbursement received by participating schools for each meal served. 3. Requiring schools to participate in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program to be eligible for the Free School Meals Program. 4. Amending the existing school meal aid statutes to align with the new Free School Meals Program and appropriating funds for the program's implementation and administration, as well as additional general education aid to account for changes to the compensatory revenue formula. The bill aims to ensure all students have access to nutritious meals at school, regardless of their ability to pay, in order to support their learning and development.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0005&ssn=0&y=2023