By: Bernal H.B. No. 4740
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to school district grace period policies and the provision
  of meals to public school students with insufficient balances on
  prepaid meal cards or meal accounts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 33.908, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 33.908.  GRACE PERIOD POLICY FOR EXHAUSTED OR
  INSUFFICIENT MEAL CARD OR ACCOUNT BALANCE.
         (a) In this section, "regular meal" is defined as a meal in
  which the school district ordinarily receives reimbursement under
  the national free or reduced price lunch program established under
  42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq.
         (b) The board of trustees of a school district that allows
  students to use a prepaid meal card or account to purchase meals
  served at schools in the district shall adopt a grace period policy
  regarding the use of the cards or accounts. The policy:
               (1)  must allow a student whose meal card or account
  balance is exhausted or insufficient to continue, for a period
  determined by the board but at a minimum of one week, to purchase
  regular meals by:
                     (A)  accumulating a negative balance on the
  student's card or account; or
                     (B)  otherwise receiving an extension of credit
  from the district;
               (2)  must require the district to make a minimum of
  three attempts to privately notify the parent of or person standing
  in parental relation to the student that the student's meal card or
  account balance is exhausted; by:
                     (A)  making arrangements with the parent or other
  person standing in parental relation to the student for payment of
  negative balances or amounts otherwise due, including through use
  of a payment plan;
                     (B)  assisting the parent or other person standing
  in parental relation to the student in the completion of an
  application on behalf of the student for free or reduced price
  meals, if it is determined that the student may be eligible for free
  or reduced price meals; and
                     (C)  sending home with the student in an unmarked
  envelope a written notice of a negative balance or other amount due
  and an application for free or reduced price meals;
               (3)  may not permit the district to charge a fee or
  interest in connection with meals purchased under Subdivision (1);
  and
               (4)  may permit the district to set a schedule for
  repayment on the account balance or other amount due if the district
  is unable to set a repayment schedule by agreement through efforts
  required under Subdivision (2) as part of the notice to the parent
  or person standing in parental relation to the student.
         (c) After expiration of one week and attempts made by the
  school district to notify the parent of or person standing in
  parental relation of a student with an exhausted meal card or
  account balance, the school district must continue to provide to
  the student regular meals in the manner described by Subsection
  (b)(1) at no cost to the student's meal card or account.
         (d) If a school district is unable to obtain payment for the
  negative balance from the student's parent or person standing in
  parental relation by the end of the school year, the school district
  may pay the negative balance on the student's meal card or account
  using private donations solicited from individuals and entities for
  that purpose and maintained in a separate district account.
         (e) If a school district is unable to obtain payment for the
  negative balance from the student's parent or person standing in
  parental relation by the end of the school year, the school district
  must provide the student's parent or person standing in parental
  relation with the application on behalf of the student for free and
  reduced price meals, if it is determined that the student may be
  eligible for free or reduced price meals, in the subsequent school
  year.
         (f) If at the end of the school year, a student's meal card or
  account balance remains negative, a school district shall not
  transfer that debt to the student's account in the subsequent
  school year and the school district must pay that debt on behalf of
  the student.
         (g) The negative balance on a student's meal card or account
  balance shall not be used to hold a student from advancing to the
  next level of schooling, graduation, receiving their diploma, or
  participating in any school-related activities.
         (h) A school district shall not publicly identify a student
  with a negative balance on a meal card or account, and must
  implement any action authorized under this section in a manner that
  does not stigmatize a student or cause embarrassment.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024
  school year.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.