Bill > S2278

Introduced Session

This bill would amend and supplement the existing statutory rubric that governs the operation of school meals programs in New Jersey and the State-level reimbursement of certain federally unreimbursed costs incurred by participating schools and school districts in association therewith, in order to include new provisions specifically governing the operation of preschool snack programs in New Jersey and further providing for the State-level reimbursement of certain federally unreimbursed costs incurred by participating preschools in providing requisite snacks to preschoolers. Although federal reimbursement is currently available for preschools that provide free or reduced price snacks to enrolled preschoolers under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which is operated pursuant to the "Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act," 42 U.S.C. s.1751 et seq., preschools are, generally, not eligible to receive federal reimbursement for any snacks that are served thereby in accordance with CACFP requirements, until such time as the preschool's federal application, seeking initial authorization to participate as a CACFP snack provider, is formally approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Moreover, because federal law generally prohibits the retroactive issuance of snack program reimbursement payments, on a back-pay basis, any preschools that are federally approved to participate as a CACFP snack provider will still be ineligible, under existing law, to receive federal reimbursement for otherwise federally reimbursable snacks that were served thereby to preschoolers during the period of time when the preschool's federal CACFP application was pending completion or final determination by the USDA. This bill would endeavor to establish greater consistency in this area by folding relevant school snack program requirements into the State's existing school meals program law, and by providing for the State to reimburse certain federally unreimbursed costs incurred by preschools, in association with their provision of snacks to preschoolers, in a manner that is consistent with the existing State reimbursement requirements applicable to authorized school lunch and breakfast providers. Specifically, the bill would amend and supplement the State's existing school meals program laws, in order to incorporate the following snack program-related provisions: (1) provisions requiring all federally eligible preschools in the State to maximize their receipt of federal resources available for preschool snacks, both by applying for and obtaining federal approval to participate as CACFP snack providers (or explaining the reasons why a CACFP application has not been submitted or has been federally disapproved and denied), and, as appropriate, by applying for and obtaining federal approval to additionally provide federally reimbursable free afterschool snacks to at-risk youth under, and for the purposes of, the CACFP's Special Program for At-Risk School Children, established pursuant to subsection r. of 42 U.S.C. s.1766 and 7 C.F.R. Part 226; (2) provisions that would require the State Department of Agriculture to establish and operate a new Preschool Snack Reimbursement Grant Program, the purpose of which would be to annually provide State-level reimbursement grant funding sufficient to offset the initial, federally unreimbursed costs being incurred by preschools that engage in the provision of snacks to preschoolers during the term-limited period when the preschool's federal CACFP application is pending completion and formal federal approval or disapproval; (3) provisions requiring all federally approved CACFP preschool snack providers to provide snacks to all enrolled preschoolers, free-of-charge; and (4) provisions requiring the State to reimburse the federally unreimbursed costs of all free and reduced price snacks served by federally approved CACFP preschool snack providers. The bill would appropriate, to the Department of Agriculture, for deposit into the existing "Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund," an initial sum of $100,000 to be dedicated and used for the purposes of financing reimbursement grants issued, under the Preschool Snack Reimbursement Grant Program, in the first year of program operations. The bill would further require the State Secretary of Agriculture, following the expenditure of such initially appropriated sums, to make annually recurring budget requests for supplemental appropriations, in an amount of $100,000 per year, or another amount, not exceeding $1.21 multiplied by the total number of preschoolers enrolled at all remaining eligible preschools in the State, as may be deemed thereby to be necessary to continue the grant program and facilitate the ongoing issuance of grant awards to eligible preschool applicants thereunder.

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Teresa Ruiz (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document