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OK SB1373

OK SB1373
Schools; creating the Healthy Meals for Healthy Kids Act; directing the State Department of Education to establish certain grant program. Effective date. Emergency.


summary

Introduced
02/02/2026
In Committee
02/03/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

An Act relating to schools; creating the Healthy Meals for Healthy Kids Act; providing short title; defining terms; requiring certain schools and allowing certain schools to establish certain program to offer meals at no charge; requiring school food authorities that establish certain program to offer certain meals at no cost to certain students and provide certain amount of seated lunch time; directing the State Department of Education to award funding to school food authorities that establish certain program; providing for calculation of funding amount; providing for use of funding; requiring the Department to inform certain school food authorities of certain funding amount by certain date; directing school food authorities to maximize access to certain federal funds; requiring participation in certain eligibility provision; requiring school food authorities that do not participate in certain provision to collect certain applications; directing school food authorities to directly certify students for certain status; directing the Department, in certain collaboration, to electronically submit certain report by certain date every three years; providing for promulgation of rules; directing the Department to establish certain grant program; providing for calculation of grant amount, subject to available funding; providing for use of grant funds; providing for establishment of grant application process; providing for codification; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

AI Summary

This bill creates the Healthy Meals for Healthy Kids Act, which establishes a comprehensive program to improve school meal access and quality in Oklahoma. The legislation allows public school districts, charter schools, and other educational institutions to offer free meals to all students, requiring them to provide one free breakfast and lunch daily to any student who requests a meal, regardless of their economic status. Schools must also ensure students in kindergarten through fifth grade receive at least 20 minutes of seated lunch time, ideally with recess preceding lunch. The State Department of Education will provide financial support to participating school food authorities, with funding calculated based on meal reimbursement rates and the number of eligible meals served. Schools are encouraged to maximize federal funding by participating in the community eligibility provision, which allows districts with at least 40% of students from low-income households to provide free meals to all students. Additionally, the bill establishes a grant program to incentivize schools to purchase Oklahoma-grown, -raised, and -processed food products, with grants distributed based on the number of meals served in the previous year. The legislation aims to reduce student hunger, improve nutrition, and support local agricultural producers, with implementation set to begin on July 1, 2026.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Second Reading referred to Education Committee then to Appropriations Committee (on 02/03/2026)

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