HB 2610-S.E - DIGEST
(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Establishes the hunger-free students' bill of rights act.

Requires a school that participates in the national school lunch program and/or the school breakfast program to annually distribute and collect an application for all households of children in kindergarten through grade twelve to determine student eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

Requires local liaisons for homeless children and youths designated by districts to improve systems to identify homeless students and coordinate with the applicable school nutrition program to ensure that each homeless student has proper access to free school meals.

Prohibits school or school district personnel or a school volunteer from: (1) Taking any action that would publicly identify a student who cannot pay for a school meal or for meals previously served to the student;

(2) Requiring a student, who cannot pay, to perform chores or other actions in exchange for a meal or to reduce or eliminate a debt;

(3) Requiring a student to dispose of an already served meal because of his or her inability to pay;

(4) Allowing any disciplinary action taken against a student to result in the denial or delay of a meal; or

(5) Requiring a parent or guardian to pay fees or costs in excess of the actual amounts owed for unpaid meals.

Requires the office of the superintendent of public instruction to: (1) Collect, analyze, and promote best practices in local meal charge policies to school districts and applicable community-based organizations;

(2) Develop and implement a plan to increase the number of schools participating in the United States department of agriculture community eligibility provision for the 2018-2019 school year; and

(3) Work jointly with community-based organizations and national experts focused on hunger and nutrition and familiar with the community eligibility provision.