Revision: Feb. 26, 2025, 4:11 p.m.
Rep. Damon, Sull. 8
February 14, 2025
2025-0434h
02/08
Amendment to HB 703-FN-A-LOCAL
Amend the title of the bill by replacing it with the following:
AN ACT relative to prohibiting school districts from denying meals to students with unpaid meal balances.
Amend the bill by replacing all after the enacting clause with the following:
1 Food and Nutrition Programs. RSA 189:11-a, VIII is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
VIII. All school districts with meal programs approved to operate through the United States Department of Agriculture shall adopt a school meals policy that:
(a) Prohibits schools from denying a meal to, or serving an alternative meal to, a student with an unpaid student meal balance or without funds to pay for a meal.
(b) Prohibits schools from disposing of or taking away any food from a child that already has been served to the child on account of the child having an unpaid student meal balance or lacking the funds to pay for a meal.
(c) Prohibits schools from identifying or stigmatizing a student as receiving a free, reduced price or full-price meal or meals for which the child lacks funds to pay, including, but not limited to, the use of tokens, stickers, stamps, or by placing the child's name on a published list of persons with student meal debt.
(d) Prohibits schools from limiting a student's participation in any school activities, graduation ceremonies, field trips, athletics, activity clubs, or other extracurricular activities, or access to materials, technology, or other items provided to students due to an unpaid student meal balance.
(e) Prohibits schools from requiring a student to provide services or perform work, including cleaning duties or chores, to pay for school meals debt.
(f) Requires schools to develop an outreach plan to encourage parent(s) or guardians(s) to apply for the free and reduced-price meals program.
(g) Authorizes schools to complete the application for free meals for the student pursuant to Title 7, Section 245.6(d) of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(h) Requires school districts to accept voluntary donations to alleviate school meal debt.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
2025-0434h
AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires school districts with meal programs approved to operate through the United States Department of Agriculture to adopt school meal policies that do not deny or stigmatize students with unpaid meal balances.