Bill
Bill > S2117
NJ S2117
NJ S2117Requires school districts take certain actions to increase participation in free or reduced priced meal programs; prohibits shaming students with school meal bills in arrears; prohibits certain district actions in collecting unpaid school meal fees.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill includes a number of provisions regarding a school district's responsibilities when a student's school breakfast or school lunch bill is in arrears. Pursuant to the bill, prior to contacting the parent to provide notice of the school meal bill in arrears, the school district is required to exhaust all options and methods to directly certify the student for the free or reduced priced meal program. If the school district is not able to directly certify the student, when the district sends the notification of the arrearage to the parent, it must include a paper copy of, or an electronic link to, an application for the school meal program and contact the parent to encourage submission of the application. The bill also includes a provision that requires school districts to ensure that a student whose school breakfast or school lunch bill is in arrears is not shamed, treated differently, forced to go to the end of the food line, or served a meal that differs from what a student whose bill is not in arrears would receive. Under the bill, a district may not permit any action directed at a student to collect unpaid school meal fees. Districts may attempt to collect unpaid school meal fees from parents, but the districts are not permitted to threaten to make a child protective services report solely in regard to the arrearage. The bill also clarifies that nothing in section 1 of P.L.2015, c.15 (C.18A:33-21) requires a school district to deny school breakfast or school lunch to a student whose bill is in arrears, but rather to provide adequate notice and opportunity to the student's parent or guardian if the district determines to take such an action.
AI Summary
This bill requires school districts to make significant efforts to enroll students in free or reduced-priced meal programs before pursuing unpaid school meal bills, including directly certifying students if possible and providing application information and encouragement to parents if direct certification fails. It also prohibits school districts from shaming students with overdue meal bills by treating them differently, making them go to the end of the food line, or serving them different meals, and forbids any actions directed at students to collect these debts. While districts can still seek payment from parents, they are not allowed to threaten to report parents to child protective services solely for unpaid meal fees, and the bill clarifies that districts are not mandated to deny meals to students with arrears but must provide proper notice and opportunity for payment or application before taking such action.
Committee Categories
Education
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 01/13/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S2117 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S2500/2117_I1.HTM |
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