Revision: Oct. 13, 2023, 1:56 p.m.
2024 SESSION
24-2404.0
02/10
HOUSE BILL [bill number]
AN ACT relative to eligibility for free school meals.
SPONSORS: [sponsors]
COMMITTEE: [committee]
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ANALYSIS
This bill increases the eligibility for free school meals to household incomes up to 350 percent of federal poverty guidelines, and provides funding from the education trust fund for the additional costs.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
24-2404.0
02/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four
AN ACT relative to eligibility for free school meals.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Schools; Food and Nutrition Programs; School Lunch Eligibility. Amend RSA 189:11-a, I to read as follows:
I.(a) Each school board shall make at least one meal available during school hours to every pupil under its jurisdiction. Such meals shall be served without cost [or at a reduced cost to any child who meets federal income eligibility guidelines] to any child whose annual household income is less than or equal to 350 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as updated annually in the Federal Register by the United States Department of Health and Human Services under 42 U.S.C. section 9902(2). The state board of education shall ensure compliance with this section and shall establish minimum nutritional standards for such meals as well as income guidelines set for the family size used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the operation of both a breakfast and lunch program in the same school.
(b) All costs for the school meals program under subparagraph (a) in addition to sums allocated under RSA 186:13, XI, shall be funded by disbursements from the department of education to the school districts, made from funds appropriated for such purpose from the education trust fund. The amount necessary to fund this paragraph is hereby appropriated to the department from the education trust fund created under RSA 198:39. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant from the education trust fund to satisfy the state's obligation under this paragraph.
2 New Subparagraph; Education Trust Fund; School Meals. Amend RSA 198:39, I by inserting after subparagraph (n) the following new subparagraph:
(o) To fund disbursements for school meals under RSA 189:11-a.