Bill > HB696

This bill, known as the "Every Child Fed Act," aims to improve school lunch and breakfast programs in Georgia by ensuring that students in the lowest-performing schools receive free meals. The bill requires local school systems to establish breakfast programs in schools that have been rated in the bottom 25% of performance for the past two years, and mandates that these schools provide free meals to all students. The legislation encourages local school systems to maximize federal funding by participating in the USDA's Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows schools with high percentages of low-income students to provide free meals to all students. The bill also requires the State Board of Education to establish nutritional guidelines that meet or exceed federal standards, promote the use of Georgia-grown produce and dairy products, and create a funding system to support school food and nutrition personnel. Additionally, the bill aims to make meal programs more accessible and discrete, with uniform methods for determining meal eligibility and a commitment to notifying parents about available programs. The overall goal is to support student learning by ensuring that all students, especially those in underperforming schools, have access to high-quality, healthy meals at no cost.

Education

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71052