SB 499-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2024 SESSION
24-2907
05/10
SENATE BILL 499-FN
AN ACT relative to reduction of hunger for children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
SPONSORS: Sen. Whitley, Dist 15; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Chandley, Dist 11; Rep. Bordes, Belk. 5; Rep. Brennan, Merr. 9; Rep. McMahon, Rock. 17; Rep. Simpson, Rock. 33; Rep. Wolf, Merr. 7
COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services
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ANALYSIS
This bill directs the department of education to expand options for free and reduced priced meals to students and directs the department of health and human services to implement a summer EBT program to provide assistance to families with children eligible for free and reduced price meals over the summer. The bill also directs the department of health and human services to participate in the elderly simplified application project within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to provide food assistance to eligible older adults and people with disabilities.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
24-2907
05/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four
AN ACT relative to reduction of hunger for children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Schools; Food and Nutrition Programs. Amend RSA 189:11-a, I to read as follows:
I.(a) Each school board shall make [at least one meal] breakfast and lunch 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. 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) The department of education shall reimburse school districts for the initial costs for equipment necessary to implement an alternative breakfast delivery service that provides breakfast after the start of the school day, such as, but not limited to carts, mobile refrigeration, and storage.
(c) An "alternative breakfast delivery service" shall be defined as, but not limited to, a service that provides breakfast after the start of the school day and before any lunch period begins for students at that public school.
2 Schools; Food and Nutrition Programs. Amend RSA 189:11-a, VII to read as follows:
VII.(a) Each school district [which participates] shall participate in the National School Breakfast Program unless the school district implements its own breakfast program or if less than 10 percent of enrolled pupils are eligible for free or reduced price lunch in the last academic year, according to the department of education’s statistics, and each school district shall maintain annual statistics on the number of breakfast meals served to pupils.
(b) Each school district that participates in the National School Lunch Program shall maintain annual statistics on the number of lunch meals served to pupils.
(c) Such school which demonstrates to the department of education that an approved school wellness policy, as required under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296, and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. section 1758b is in effect, and that such school is providing breakfast meals to pupils that meet or exceed the United States Department of Agriculture's child nutrition criteria may apply for and receive a 3 cent reimbursement for each breakfast meal served to a pupil and an additional 27 cent reimbursement for each meal served to students eligible for a reduced price meal. The department of education shall request biennial appropriations in an amount sufficient to meet projected school breakfast reimbursements to ensure students eligible for reduced price meals are offered breakfast at no cost. The department of education shall prescribe forms as necessary under this paragraph.
(d) Such school which demonstrates to the department of education that an approved school wellness policy, as required under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296, and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. section 1758b is in effect, and that such school is providing lunch meals to pupils that meet or exceed the United States Department of Agriculture's child nutrition criteria may apply for and receive a reimbursement for each lunch meal served to a pupil and an additional reimbursement for each meal served to students eligible for a reduced price meal. The department of education shall request biennial appropriations in an amount sufficient to meet projected school lunch reimbursements to ensure students eligible for reduced price meals are offered lunch at no cost. The department of education shall prescribe forms as necessary under this paragraph.
3 New Paragraphs; Schools; Food and Nutrition Programs. Amend RSA 189:11-a by inserting after paragraph VIII the following new paragraphs:
IX. By May 15th of each year, the department of education shall approve and announce to the public the summer meal sponsors and sites for the Summer Food Service Program, Seamless Summer Option, and extension of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
X. The department of education shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A requiring school districts to offer online and physical free or reduced price school meals applications. The rules shall not prevent school districts from offering other innovative ways to distribute or collect free or reduced price meal applications, in addition to offering online and physical free or reduced price school meals applications.
(a) The department of education shall provide administrative or technical assistance to school districts establishing an online application for free or reduced price school meals and shall include in its biennial budget request under RSA 9:4, funding for costs associated with providing such assistance.
(b) For the biennium ending June 30, 2027, and each biennium thereafter, the department of education shall include in its biennial budget request under RSA 9:4, funding for school districts to purchase software to create an online application for free or reduced price school meals.
XI. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, beginning with the 2024 - 2025 school year and each school year thereafter, for each breakfast and lunch meal that is served at a school participating in the federal community eligibility provision program that is reimbursed at the federal reimbursement rate for a paid meal, the department shall reimburse the school food authority the difference between (a) the combined state and federal reimbursement rate for a paid meal for the current school year and (b) the combined state and federal reimbursement rate for a free meal for the current school year, provided that the total reimbursement rate for each meal served shall equal the combined state and federal reimbursement rate for a free meal for the current school year.
4 New Paragraphs; Human Service; Summer EBT and Elderly Simplified Application. Amend RSA 161:2 by inserting after paragraph XIII-b the following new paragraphs:
XIII-c. Summer EBT. The department shall apply for and meet all deadlines to participate in the federal Summer EBT program so that families whose children are eligible for free and reduced price meals can receive benefits on an EBT card in the summer. The department shall include in its biennial budget request under RSA 9:4 funding for any administrative costs related to administering the federal Summer EBT program.
XIII-d. Elderly Simplified Application. The department shall apply for and participate in the elderly simplified application project within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The department shall include in its biennial budget request under RSA 9:4 funding for any administrative costs related to administering Summer EBT and the SNAP Elderly Simplified Application.
5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
24-2907
12/6/23
SB 499-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to reduction of hunger for children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Due to time constraints, the Office of Legislative Budget Assistant is unable to provide a fiscal note for this bill, as introduced, at this time. When completed, the fiscal note will be forwarded to the Senate Clerk's Office.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Departments of Education and Health and Human Services