HB1501 • 2026

K-12 School Lunches and Breakfasts

Agriculture Children Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Joseph
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Education Administration Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific information about handling students who cannot pay for meals or how DACS will enforce compliance, leaving these points as limits and unknowns.

K-12 School Lunches and Breakfasts

This bill requires K-12 public schools to participate in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, sets rules for providing meals, allows school districts to collect meal payments but prohibits them from using third-party debt collectors, and provides reimbursement for breakfasts served.

What This Bill Does

Requires all K-12 public schools in Florida to take part in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Ensures that lunch is available at school regardless of whether a student can pay or owes money for past meals.
Allows school districts to collect payment for meals but stops them from using third-party debt collectors.
Reimburses each school district by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) for every breakfast served under the School Breakfast Program, up to one per student daily.

Who It Names or Affects

K-12 public schools in Florida
Students attending K-12 public schools
School districts and their administrators

Terms To Know

National School Lunch Program: A program that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children during the school day.
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS): The Florida state agency responsible for overseeing agricultural and consumer protection issues.

Limits and Unknowns

It is unclear how schools will handle students who cannot pay for meals.
There are no details on how DACS will enforce or monitor compliance with these new requirements.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-01-15 House
• Referred to Education Administration Subcommittee • Referred to Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee • Referred to Education & Employment Committee • Now in Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2026-01-09 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

K-12 School Lunches and Breakfasts; Requires K-12 public schools to participate in National School Lunch Program & School Breakfast Program; provides requirements for provision of school lunches & breakfasts at such schools; authorizes school districts to collect payment for specified meals; prohibits school districts from using third-party debt collectors; provides for reimbursement of school breakfasts by DACS; provides calculation for such reimbursement.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 1501 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1501-00
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to K-12 school lunches and breakfasts; 2
amending s. 1001.42, F.S.; requiring K-12 public 3
schools to participate in the National School Lunch 4
Program and the School Breakfast Program; providing 5
requirements for the provision of school lunches and 6
breakfasts at such schools; authorizing school 7
districts to collect payment for specified meals; 8
prohibiting school districts from using third-party 9
debt collectors; providing for the reimbursement of 10
school breakfasts by the Department of Agriculture and 11
Consumer Services; providing a calculation for such 12
reimbursement; authorizing the Department of 13
Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt rules; 14
providing an effective date. 15
16
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
18
Section 1. Subsection (16) of section 1001.42, Florida 19
Statutes, is amended to read: 20
1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board.—The 21
district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all 22
powers and perform all duties listed below: 23
(16) SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.— 24
(a) Assume such responsibilities and exercise such powers 25

HB 1501 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

and perform such duties as may be assigned to it by law or as 26
may be required by rules of the Department of Agriculture and 27
Consumer Services or, as in the opinion of the district school 28
board, are necessary to ensure school lunch services, consistent 29
with needs of students; effective and efficient operation of the 30
program; and the proper articulation of the school lunch program 31
with other phases of education in the district. 32
(b) Each school district shall require each school within 33
the district to participate in the National School Lunch Program 34
and the School Breakfast Program. Each school shall make: 35
1. Lunch available pursuant to the National School Lunch 36
Program, regardless of whether such student has the money to pay 37
for the lunch or owes money for meals previously provided. A 38
school district may collect payment for meals provided pursuant 39
to this paragraph. However, a school district may not use a 40
third-party debt collector to collect such debt. 41
2. Breakfast available pursuant to the National School 42
Breakfast Program at no cost to the student unless the student's 43
parent has provided written notification to the school to 44
withhold such meal from the student. The Department of 45
Agriculture and Consumer Services shall reimburse each school 46
district for each school breakfast served to a student, with a 47
maximum of one breakfast per student per school day. The 48
reimbursement rate shall be the difference between the amount 49
paid by the United States Department of Agriculture and the free 50

HB 1501 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

rate set annually by the United States Secretary of Agriculture 51
for each school. 52
(c) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 53
may adopt rules to administer this subsection. 54
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 55