Bill > HB2821

This bill modifies existing school nutrition program laws to mandate participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program that allows schools in high-poverty areas to provide free meals to all students without collecting individual household income applications. Specifically, the bill adds a new subsection requiring schools that are eligible for CEP or other meal programs to participate in these programs and to maximize available federal funding to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to students. The bill builds upon the existing "Feed to Achieve" initiative, which aims to provide nutritious meals to elementary school students, by creating a more proactive approach to accessing federal meal funding. The legislation applies to county board of education schools and seeks to ensure that students receive nutritious meals without financial barriers, leveraging federal resources to support this goal. The bill maintains existing provisions about school nutrition programs, such as requiring schools to adopt approved breakfast delivery systems and tracking student meal participation, while adding this new mandate for program participation and funding maximization.