Bill > HB1553

This bill makes significant changes to school meal policies and funding in North Dakota by requiring all public and nonpublic schools to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to students, and establishing a funding mechanism through the state's legacy earnings fund. Specifically, the bill eliminates previous restrictions around meal service, such as denying meals, stigmatizing students with unpaid balances, or limiting student participation in school activities due to meal debt. Instead, schools must provide meals free of charge to all students and are encouraged to help parents apply for federal nutrition assistance programs. To fund this initiative, the bill allocates $140 million from the legacy earnings fund to the Department of Public Instruction's operating fund, which will provide grants to school districts to cover the costs of offering free meals. The bill modifies the existing legacy earnings fund distribution process to include this new education funding allocation, ensuring schools can implement the free meal program during the 2025-2027 biennium. The superintendent of public instruction will be responsible for developing guidelines and reporting requirements for these grants.