Alaska2026Passed Legislature

HB12

Free Reduced-Price School Meals in Alaska

Last scannedSep 21, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This law stops schools from charging fees for reduced-price meals and creates a new fund to pay the costs using money donated by Permanent Fund Dividend recipients.

Requires school districts that join national meal programs to give reduced-price meals to eligible students without charging any fee.
Creates a public school reduced-price meal fund in the state general fund to cover these costs.
Allows people filing for their Permanent Fund Dividend online to donate part of their payment directly into this new meal fund.
Directs the Department of Education to send money from the fund to schools based on how much they spend on meals, minus federal or other aid received.
Sets aside seven percent of donations made through the dividend application for administrative costs.

The law only covers reduced-price meals, not all breakfast and lunch options.
If there is not enough money donated to cover every school's costs, funds will be shared proportionally among districts rather than fully paying everyone.
The bill does not specify the exact amount of funding that will be available until donations are collected.

Plain language

Reduced-price meal: A breakfast or lunch provided by a school at a lower cost to students who meet specific income requirements under federal law.
Permanent Fund Dividend: An annual payment made from Alaska's Permanent Fund to eligible residents, which this bill allows people to donate partially to the meal fund.
National school meal program: Federal programs that provide free or reduced-price meals to students in schools across the United States.

Official record

Validated

FREE BREAKFAST & LUNCH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS An Act relating to free breakfast and lunch in public schools.

Official activity