Bill Text: NH HB572 | 2023 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relative to eligibility for free school meals.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-11 - Rereferred to Committee, Motion Adopted, Voice Vote; 05/11/2023; Senate Journal 14 [HB572 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2023-HB572-Amended.html
HB 572-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
22Mar2023... 0904h
2023 SESSION
23-0373
10/04
HOUSE BILL 572-FN
AN ACT relative to eligibility for free school meals.
SPONSORS: Rep. Hall, Merr. 9; Rep. Cascadden, Coos 5; Rep. Ellison, Merr. 28; Rep. M. Murray, Hills. 37; Rep. Burroughs, Carr. 2; Rep. Woodcock, Carr. 1; Rep. Rombeau, Hills. 2; Rep. Myler, Merr. 9; Rep. Cornell, Hills. 22; Rep. Tanner, Sull. 5
COMMITTEE: Education
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill increases the eligibility for free school meals to household incomes up to 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines, and provides funding fro the education trust fund for the additional costs.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
22Mar2023... 0904h 23-0373
10/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Three
AN ACT relative to eligibility for free school meals.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Schools; Food and Nutrition Programs; School Lunch Eligibility. Amend RSA 189:11-a, I to read as follows:
I.(a) Each school board shall make at least one meal available during school hours to every pupil under its jurisdiction. Such meals shall be served without cost [or at a reduced cost to any child who meets federal income eligibility guidelines] to any child whose annual household income is less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines as updated annually in the Federal Register by the United States Department of Health and Human Services under 42 U.S.C. section 9902(2). The state board of education shall ensure compliance with this section and shall establish minimum nutritional standards for such meals as well as income guidelines set for the family size used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the operation of both a breakfast and lunch program in the same school.
(b) All costs for the school meals program under subparagraph (a) in addition to sums allocated under RSA 186:13, XI, shall be funded by disbursements from the department of education to the school districts, made from funds appropriated for such purpose from the education trust fund. The amount necessary to fund this paragraph is hereby appropriated to the department from the education trust fund created under RSA 198:39. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant from the education trust fund to satisfy the state's obligation under this paragraph.
2 Education Trust Fund; School Meals. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 198:39, I to read as follows:
I. The state treasurer shall establish an education trust fund in the treasury. Moneys in such fund shall not be used for any purpose other than to distribute adequate education grants to municipalities' school districts and to approved charter schools pursuant to RSA 198:42, to provide low and moderate income homeowners property tax relief under RSA 198:56-198:61, to distribute school building aid to school districts and approved chartered public schools pursuant to RSA 198:15-b, to distribute tuition and transportation funds to school districts for students attending career and technical education programs pursuant to RSA 188-E:9, to distribute special education aid to school districts pursuant to RSA 186-C:18, to fund department of education operating costs for a state student data collection and reporting system, to fund disbursements for school meals under RSA 189:11-a, and to fund kindergarten programs as may be determined by the general court
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect September 1, 2023.
23-0373
1/9/23
HB 572-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to eligibility for free school meals.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None
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| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | |||
STATE: | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 | FY 2026 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
Funding Source: | [ X ] General [ ] Education [ ] Highway [ ] Other | |||
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LOCAL: |
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Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable Increase |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires each school board make at least one meal available without cost to a child that qualifies based on a household income less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The Department of Education states this bill would increase costs at the local level for providing an increased number of meals at no cost and at the state level for staffing and administration of the program as there would need to be a new process for eligibility determinations, as the current process is under USDA and are done at the local level. All costs are indeterminable at this time as it would vary across districts and the Department does not have an estimate for eligible children.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Education
