Bill > HF2201

This bill modifies Minnesota's school lunch and education funding programs by introducing several key changes. It establishes an "enhanced school meals program" that limits state-paid free school lunches to families with incomes at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty level, replacing the previous free school meals program. The bill creates new definitions for meal types, including "full paid," "free," "reduced-price," and "enhanced" meals, and requires schools participating in the national school lunch program to adopt specific meal policies. The legislation also increases local optional aid for school districts by introducing a three-tier system of local optional revenue, with the first tier set at $92, the second tier at $300, and the third tier at $424 per adjusted pupil unit. Schools are now allowed to transfer funds from other accounts to support meals that exceed the enhanced meal eligibility standard. These changes are set to take effect for fiscal year 2026 and later, aiming to provide more flexible funding for school meal programs while establishing clearer guidelines for meal accessibility and financial support.

Budget and Finance

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF2201&ssn=0&y=2025