Joint Budget Committee. The bill requires the department of
education (department) to apply to the United States department of agriculture for a statewide community eligibility provision if the department determines participation in a statewide community eligibility provision will maximize federal funding.
The bill requires the department to annually establish options for, and communicate the options to, school food authorities to maximize federal funding. A school food authority that chooses an option other than those established by the department will not receive healthy school meals for all program funding and must use other eligible funding sources to cover the costs of serving free meals to all students at the schools of the school food authority.
The bill delays the implementation of the local food purchasing
grant, the wage increase or stipend program for school meals food preparation and service employees (wage increase or stipend program), and the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program until the 2025-26 budget year.
The bill requires the department to create a policy for school food
authorities to maximize the collection of household income application forms for the national school lunch program to increase federal funding for the program. School food authorities that choose to participate in the program shall apply the policy to maximize the collection of household income application forms.
The bill creates the healthy school meals for all program technical
advisory group (advisory group). As soon as practicable, the department shall convene the advisory group. The advisory group shall collaborate with school districts, the office of state planning and budgeting, and other interested parties to:
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Identify ways to maximize federal reimbursements;
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Reduce costs of the program;
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Review cost-savings options, including minimizing food waste;
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Strengthen the long-term resiliency of the healthy school meals for all cash fund;
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Create model revenue scenarios;
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Provide options and recommendations to balance program revenues and expenditures; and
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Draft a report with legislative and administrative recommendations and submit it to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees; the joint budget committee; the state board of education; and the governor.
On January 1, 2024, the local school food purchasing program
(purchasing program) and the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program (grant program) repealed. The bill recreates the purchasing program and the grant program, and extends the programs through the 2024-25 budget year.
The bill eliminates the authorization for department expenditures
in excess of the appropriated amount to participating school food authorities for the wage increase or stipend program. 1
