| Summary |
Joint Budget Committee. The healthy school meals for all
program (program) reimburses participating school food authorities for
meals that those authorities provide to students without charge. Section
2 of the bill allows for the amount of these reimbursements to be
modified in 2 different scenarios. First, if a referred measure that would,
beginning with the 2026 state income tax year, increase state taxes
annually by at least $90 million in connection with the program is not
approved by the voters voting on the referred measure at the 2025
statewide election, the department of education (department) is required
to only provide reimbursements to participating school food authorities
for meals served at eligible sites. Eligible sites are those that either:
•
Qualify for the community eligibility provision program, as
that program exists on November 15, 2025; or
•
Is identified as an eligible site by the department based on
the amount that the general assembly appropriates for the
purpose of providing reimbursements to a participating
school food authority for offering eligible meals without
charge and the percentage of a site's student enrollment
who are certified as eligible for free meals based on
documentation of benefit receipt or categorical eligibility
as described in federal rule, or any successor regulations.
Second, if the department, in consultation with the office of state planning
and budgeting, determines that the amount that the general assembly
appropriated for the purpose of providing reimbursements to a
participating school food authority is less than the costs of the department
providing those reimbursements, the department may request a
supplemental appropriation or an overexpenditure. If that request is
rejected, the department may determine a prorated reimbursement amount
for the reimbursements that the department provides through the program
to each participating school food authority for the remainder of that
budget year.
Under current law, if the department determines that there is an
insufficient amount of money in the healthy school meals for all program
cash fund (fund) for the department to provide reimbursements to a
participating school food authority for offering eligible meals without
charge, the department may make an expenditure from the general fund
to provide those reimbursements. Sections 4 and 6 limit this expenditure
authority to fiscal years commencing on or before July 1, 2024.
Additionally, under current law, the general assembly is required
to appropriate money from the state education fund to cover program
costs for which there is not sufficient money in the fund for state fiscal
years 2023-24 and 2024-25. Section 3 allows the general assembly to
appropriate money from the state education fund into state fiscal year
2025-26. Section 4 requires the department, on January 15, 2027, in
consultation with the office of state planning and budgeting, to report to
the joint budget committee on whether there is a sufficient balance in the
fund for:
•
The state treasurer to transfer an amount from the fund to
the state education fund equal to the total amount of
expenditures from the state education fund for the program
for state fiscal years 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, and
2025-26 minus the amount of additional tax revenue
deposited in the state education fund as a result of the
increase in state income tax generated in connection with
voter approval of the program for those same fiscal years;
and
•
The department to provide reimbursements to a
participating school food authority for offering eligible
meals without charge.
Section 8 decreases the appropriation for school meal
reimbursements provided through the program from the general fund by
$42,240,242 and increases the appropriation from the state education fund
by $8,119,271 for the same purpose.
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