HB26-1350 • 2026

Appropriations to Legacy School Food Programs

The act makes optional an appropriation to comply with matching requirements under the federal 'Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act' and allows the amount to be appropriated from the healthy

Budget Children Education Taxes

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Rep. K. Brown, Rep. R. Taggart, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. J. Bridges, Rep. E. Sirota, Sen. B. Kirkmeyer, Rep. C. Clifford
Last action: 2026-05-27
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary lists specific dollar amounts appropriated and reduced, but does not specify the exact effective date of these changes beyond noting it is enacted.

HB26-1350: Changes to School Food Program Funding

This law makes funding for several school food programs optional and allows money from the Healthy School Meals for All Program Cash Fund to pay for them.

What This Bill Does

Makes an appropriation to meet matching requirements under the federal Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act optional.
Allows money from the Healthy School Meals for All Program Cash Fund to be used for these matching requirements.
Permits funding for administering the summer electronic benefits transfer program for children to come from the Healthy School Meals for All Program Cash Fund.
Makes funding for the Start Smart Nutrition Program optional and repeals its specific cash fund.
Moves any remaining money in the Start Smart Nutrition Program cash fund to the general fund.
Allows funding for the Start Smart Nutrition Program to be taken from the Healthy School Meals for All Program Cash Fund.
Makes funding for the Child Nutrition School Lunch Protection Program optional and allows it to come from the Healthy School Meals for All Program Cash Fund.
Permits money to be set aside for legacy local school food programs only if there is leftover money in the Healthy School Meals for All Program Cash Fund after fully funding newer HSMA programs.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Education
Schools and children involved in federal lunch, nutrition, and summer benefits transfer programs

Terms To Know

Appropriation: An official act by the legislature that sets aside money for a specific purpose.
Cash Fund: A separate pool of state money used to pay for particular programs instead of using general tax revenue.
Legacy Programs: Older school food purchasing and grant programs that existed before the Healthy School Meals for All Act.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not state a specific effective date in the provided text.
Funding for legacy local school food programs is only available if money remains after fully funding newer HSMA programs.
Because some funding is now optional, future amounts depend on legislative decisions.

Bill History

2026-05-27 Governor
Governor Signed
2026-05-22 Governor
Sent to the Governor
2026-05-22 Senate
Signed by the President of the Senate
2026-05-22 House
Signed by the Speaker of the House
2026-04-16 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-15 Senate
Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-14 Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-04-13 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
2026-04-11 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-09 House
House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-08 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed - No Amendments
2026-04-06 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-04-02 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations

Official Summary Text

The act makes optional an appropriation to comply with matching requirements under the federal 'Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act' and allows the amount to be appropriated from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.
The act allows money for administration of the summer electronic benefits transfer for children program to be appropriated from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.
The act makes an appropriation for the start smart nutrition program optional, repeals the start smart nutrition program cash fund, transfers the start smart nutrition program cash fund balance to the general fund, and allows an appropriation for the start smart nutrition program to be made from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.
The act makes an appropriation for the child nutrition school lunch protection program optional and allows an appropriation for the child nutrition school lunch protection program to be made from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.
Under current law, the department of education administers a local school food purchasing program and a local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program (legacy local school food programs) that are distinct from the local school food purchasing program and technical assistance and education grant programs within the 'Healthy School Meals for All Act' (HSMA local school food programs). The act permits the general assembly to appropriate money for the legacy local school food programs if the healthy school meals for all program cash fund does not fully fund the HSMA local school food programs.
The act appropriates $3,001,741 from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund to the department of education for the affected programs. The act reduces appropriations for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the department of education for the affected programs by $3,839,685, of which $229,097 is from the general fund and the remainder from various cash funds.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)