Bill > HB60

This bill, known as the Healthy Start Act, aims to improve school lunch and breakfast programs in Georgia by ensuring that students have access to high-quality, nutritious meals. The bill requires local school systems to establish school breakfast programs, particularly in schools where at least 40% of students are identified as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. It mandates that local school systems maximize federal funding by participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows schools to provide free meals to all students in high-poverty areas. The legislation specifically focuses on providing meals at no cost to students who would typically qualify for reduced-price meals, effectively eliminating meal costs for lower-income students. The bill also requires the State Board of Education to establish nutritional standards that meet or exceed federal requirements, create uniform methods for determining meal eligibility, and encourage the use of Georgia-grown produce, dairy, and poultry products in school meal programs. Additionally, the bill provides for state funding to support these programs, ensures that school food and nutrition personnel are properly compensated, and aims to integrate nutrition education into school curricula, with the ultimate goal of supporting student learning and health.

Education

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69372