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SB438 • 2026

Requiring eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community eligibility program, providing a financial hardship exception from such participation and requiring the state department of education to assist school districts seeking such participation.

Requiring eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community eligibility program, providing a financial hardship exception from such participation and requiring the state department of education to assist school districts seeking such participation.

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Last action
2026-04-10
Official status
Died on Calendar
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requiring eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community eligibility program, providing a financial hardship exception from such participation and requiring the state department of education to assist school districts seeking such participation.

Requiring eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community eligibility program, providing a financial hardship exception from such participation and requiring the state department of education to assist school districts seeking such participation.

What This Bill Does

  • Requiring eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community eligibility program, providing a financial hardship exception from such participation and requiring the state department of education to assist school districts seeking such participation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-10 Senate

    Died on Calendar

  2. 2026-03-11 Senate

    Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Education

  3. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Hearing: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 144-S event

  4. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Withdrawn from Senate Committee on Education ; Rereferred to Senate Committee on Education

  5. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Withdrawn from Senate Committee on Ways and Means ; Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means

  6. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Referred to Senate Committee on Education

  7. 2026-02-02 Senate

    Introduced

Official Summary Text

Requiring eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community eligibility program, providing a financial hardship exception from such participation and requiring the state department of education to assist school districts seeking such participation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
As Amended by Senate Committee
Session of 2026
SENATE BILL No. 438
By Committee on Education
2-2
AN ACT concerning education; relating to school districts; requiring
eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community
eligibility program; providing a financial hardship exception to such
participation; requiring the state department of education to assist
school districts seeking such participation.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) Each school year, the board of education of each
school district shall determine the number of students enrolled in and
attending school in each school of such district who qualifies for free
meals under the national school lunch program. School districts may
provide appropriate instruction and assistance to students and families as
necessary to ensure accurate student participation in such program.
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), after making the
determination provided in subsection (a), if a school district or school of
the school district is eligible to participate in the community eligibility
provision of 42 U.S.C. § 1759a, the board of education of such school
district shall consider such participation. If such participation is so desired
and would not cause financial hardship as provided in paragraph (2), such
board of education shall adopt by majority vote a resolution to officially
affirm such participation and direct the superintendent to perform any
necessary tasks for such participation.
(2) If participation in the community eligibility provision of 42
U.S.C. § 1759a would cause financial hardship to a school district, the
board of education of such school district shall demonstrate the financial
hardship in an open public meeting of such board and adopt by majority
vote a resolution declaring declare that such school district or school of a
school district is unable elects not to participate in the community
eligibility provision.
(c) The state department of education shall assist any school district
with one or more schools that qualify for the community eligibility
provision in such school district's efforts to participate in the community
eligibility provision of 42 U.S.C. § 1759a.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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