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Page 1 - 132LR2622(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
H.P. 1347 - L.D. 2017
An Act to Update Certain Statutes Governing School Nutrition
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6601-A, as repealed and replaced by PL 2023, c. 405, Pt. A,
§44, is amended to read:
§6601-A. Free or reduced-price school meals; Internet-based school meal
applications
The department shall may contract for the development and implementation of an
Internet-based application for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch
Program under 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 210 and the School Breakfast Program
under 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 220 or otherwise make available to public
schools an Internet-based application for those programs. The department shall may make
available to public schools the an Internet‑based application for free or reduced-price meals
developed under this section on the department's a publicly accessible website. The
department shall make the any Internet-based application developed pursuant to this section
in an understandable and uniform format and, to the maximum extent practicable, in a
language that parents and legal guardians can understand. A public school may make the
an Internet-based application available for school meal applications on the public school's
publicly accessible website. All public schools shall continue to distribute paper
applications for school meals to all students. A public school is solely responsible for
processing that school's online applications. Data submitted through the an Internet-based
application may not be visible to the department and must be transmitted directly to the
applicable public school or other agency making the determination for a student's eligibility
for free or reduced-price meals. All public schools shall accept data submitted through the
an Internet-based application.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 556, §1, is
amended to read:
F. Except as provided under paragraph G, a school administrative unit with a public
school in which at least 50% of students qualified for a free or reduced‑price lunch
during the preceding school year shall operate an alternative breakfast delivery service
that provides breakfast after the start of the school day and before any lunch period in
APPROVED
APRIL 15, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
717
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR2622(03)
the school begins for students at that public school. A school administrative unit with
a public school in which at least 70% of students who are eligible for free and
reduced‑price meals under paragraph A participate in the breakfast program under
paragraph B is exempt from the requirements of this paragraph.
The department shall publish annually, by July 1, 2020 and every July 1st thereafter,
on its publicly accessible website, information regarding schools required to comply
with and schools exempt from this paragraph in the preceding school year, including,
but not limited to, the name of the school, any alternative breakfast delivery service
operated, free and reduced‑price breakfast participation rate and the financial impact
of the program on the school nutrition budget.
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 556, §2, is
amended by repealing the 2nd blocked paragraph.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
School Finance and Operations Z078
Initiative: Reduces funding due to the removal of a requirement for an Internet-based
application for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program.
GENERAL FUND 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $0 ($250,000)
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 ($250,000)