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 RSA 189:11-a, VIII is repealed and reenacted to read as follows: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) Prohibits the school district from using a collections agency to collect unpaid school meals debt; and, prohibits schools from charging or collecting fees or additional costs associated with school meals debt.

(g) Requires schools to develop an outreach plan to encourage parent(s) or guardians(s) to apply for the free and reduced-price meals program.

(h) 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.

(i) Requires school districts to accept voluntary donations to alleviate school meal debt.

IX. The department of education shall pay for the school meal debts accrued and unpaid by students in any schools participating in the USDA National School Lunch program by the end of each fiscal year.

2 Appropriation; School Meal Debt. The amount of $1 is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2026 from the general fund to the department of education to pay for school meal debts accrued and unpaid by students pursuant to RSA 189:11-a, IX. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for such sum out of any funds in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.

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) Prohibits the school district from using a collections agency to collect unpaid school meals debt; and, prohibits schools from charging or collecting fees or additional costs associated with school meals debt.

(g) Requires schools to develop an outreach plan to encourage parent(s) or guardians(s) to apply for the free and reduced-price meals program.

(h) 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.

(i) Requires school districts to accept voluntary donations to alleviate school meal debt.

IX. The department of education shall pay for the school meal debts accrued and unpaid by students in any schools participating in the USDA National School Lunch program by the end of each fiscal year.

2 Appropriation; School Meal Debt. The amount of $1 is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2026 from the general fund to the department of education to pay for school meal debts accrued and unpaid by students pursuant to RSA 189:11-a, IX. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for such sum out of any funds in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.