Bill Text: MN HF751 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: School boards prohibited from withholding students' grades for failing to pay school lunch debts, discrimination against students eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch prohibited, and parameters for collecting unpaid school lunch debts established.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-16 - Author added Greene [HF751 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HF751-Introduced.html
1.2relating to education; prohibiting school boards from withholding students'
1.3grades for failing to pay school lunch debts; prohibiting discrimination against
1.4students eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch; establishing parameters
1.5for collecting unpaid school lunch debts;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010,
1.6sections 123B.37, subdivision 2; 124D.111, by adding subdivisions.
1.7BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.8 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 123B.37, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.9 Subd. 2. Boards shall not withhold grades or diplomas for nonpayment of
1.10student fees. No pupil's rights or privileges, including the receipt of grades or diplomas
1.11may be denied or abridged for nonpayment of fees, including school lunch debts; but this
1.12provision does not prohibit a district from maintaining any action provided by law for the
1.13collection of fees authorized by sections123B.36 and
123B.38 .
1.14EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
1.15 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
1.16subdivision to read:
1.17 Subd. 4. Discrimination prohibited. No school district, charter school, nonpublic
1.18school, or other participant in the national school lunch program receiving state funding
1.19under subdivision 1 may:
1.20(1) physically segregate, discriminate against, or otherwise stigmatize any child
1.21eligible for a free or reduced-price school lunch;
1.22(2) make any overt or distinguishable identification of a child eligible for a free or
1.23reduced-price school lunch through use of special lines, tickets, announced or published
1.24lists of names, or other public means of identifying that child; or
2.1(3) deny lunch to a child eligible for a reduced-price school lunch who lacks
2.2sufficient funds to pay for lunch or who has unpaid school lunch debts.
2.3EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
2.4 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
2.5subdivision to read:
2.6 Subd. 5. Collection of unpaid lunch debts. (a) No entity attempting to collect an
2.7unpaid school lunch debt from a household may:
2.8(1) take any action directed at a child in the household, including withholding an
2.9educational opportunity or engaging in any behavior prohibited under subdivision 4; or
2.10(2) associate or contract with, or in any other way use or employ the services of,
2.11a collection agency, as defined in section 332.31, subdivision 3, to attempt to collect an
2.12unpaid school lunch debt from the household.
2.13(b) An entity collecting or attempting to collect an unpaid school lunch debt from a
2.14household must comply with section 332.37.
2.15(c) A household alleging that a school violated section 332.37 has the right to an
2.16injunction under section 332.39.
2.17EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
1.3grades for failing to pay school lunch debts; prohibiting discrimination against
1.4students eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch; establishing parameters
1.5for collecting unpaid school lunch debts;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010,
1.6sections 123B.37, subdivision 2; 124D.111, by adding subdivisions.
1.7BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.8 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 123B.37, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.9 Subd. 2. Boards shall not withhold grades or diplomas for nonpayment of
1.10student fees. No pupil's rights or privileges, including the receipt of grades or diplomas
1.11may be denied or abridged for nonpayment of fees, including school lunch debts; but this
1.12provision does not prohibit a district from maintaining any action provided by law for the
1.13collection of fees authorized by sections
1.14EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
1.15 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
1.16subdivision to read:
1.17 Subd. 4. Discrimination prohibited. No school district, charter school, nonpublic
1.18school, or other participant in the national school lunch program receiving state funding
1.19under subdivision 1 may:
1.20(1) physically segregate, discriminate against, or otherwise stigmatize any child
1.21eligible for a free or reduced-price school lunch;
1.22(2) make any overt or distinguishable identification of a child eligible for a free or
1.23reduced-price school lunch through use of special lines, tickets, announced or published
1.24lists of names, or other public means of identifying that child; or
2.1(3) deny lunch to a child eligible for a reduced-price school lunch who lacks
2.2sufficient funds to pay for lunch or who has unpaid school lunch debts.
2.3EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
2.4 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
2.5subdivision to read:
2.6 Subd. 5. Collection of unpaid lunch debts. (a) No entity attempting to collect an
2.7unpaid school lunch debt from a household may:
2.8(1) take any action directed at a child in the household, including withholding an
2.9educational opportunity or engaging in any behavior prohibited under subdivision 4; or
2.10(2) associate or contract with, or in any other way use or employ the services of,
2.11a collection agency, as defined in section 332.31, subdivision 3, to attempt to collect an
2.12unpaid school lunch debt from the household.
2.13(b) An entity collecting or attempting to collect an unpaid school lunch debt from a
2.14household must comply with section 332.37.
2.15(c) A household alleging that a school violated section 332.37 has the right to an
2.16injunction under section 332.39.
2.17EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
