H-1094              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1601

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Peery, Schoon, K. Wilson, Cole, Valle, Jones, G. Fisher, P. King, Pruitt, Kremen, Winsley, Wang, Holland, Wineberry, Cooper, Jacobsen, H. Myers, Dorn, Basich and Phillips

Read first time 1/30/89 and referred to Committee on Education. Referred 2/15/89 to Committee on Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to a school breakfast program; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that proper nutrition is essential to the capacity of a child to develop and learn.  Hunger is a problem that no child should experience in our society.  While many problems are so complex that we are frustrated in finding solutions, the solution for the hungry is simple.  We must provide more food.  Therefore, the legislature recognizes the need to establish and implement a school breakfast program that will assure that no child will start the school day distracted by hunger.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The superintendent of public instruction is directed to conduct a study of school lunch programs to identify those schools which are and those schools which are not currently participating in the national school lunch program.  Within the report the superintendent of public instruction shall identify schools within each school district that have forty percent or more of the students participating in the national school lunch program and receiving free or reduced price lunches in the second preceding school year.  These schools shall be identified as severe need schools.  The report shall also identify schools within each school district that have twenty-five to thirty-nine percent of the students participating in the national school lunch program and receiving free or reduced price lunches.  If a district does not participate in the national school lunch program, the superintendent of public instruction shall make a determination for each school within the district as to the number of students who would be eligible for free and reduced price lunches if they were available.  The superintendent of public instruction shall report to the legislature no later than January 15, 1990, on the results of its study and shall notify each school district of the schools identified as severe need schools and schools that have twenty-five to thirty-nine percent participation rates as defined in this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     School districts that have schools identified as severe need schools in section 2 of this act shall be required to develop a plan for the implementation of a school breakfast program, as defined in 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1773, beginning with the 1990-91 school year.  Each district in developing an implementation plan shall work with an advisory committee appointed by the board of directors of the school district.  The advisory committee shall be composed of a school administrator, a school food service worker or director, a teacher, a parent, a certified nutritionist or dietician, three social service agency representatives such as the local food bank, community action agency, or a service organization working on the issue of hunger, a local elected official, a public health official, and a representative from a local headstart or early childhood education program.  The implementation plan for the school breakfast program in the identified severe need schools shall be submitted to the superintendent of public instruction no later than July 1, 1990.  The program shall be implemented not later than the second day of school in the 1990-91 school year.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     School districts that have schools with twenty-five to thirty-nine percent of the children participating in the national school lunch program receiving free or reduced price lunches shall be required to develop a plan for the implementation of a school breakfast program beginning with the 1991-92 school year.  Each district shall be required to work with the advisory committee appointed by the school board in section 2 of this act.  The implementation for the plan shall be submitted to the superintendent of public instruction no later than December 1, 1990.  The program shall be implemented not later than the second day of school in the 1991-92 school year.