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LD577 • 2025

An Act to Maximize Federal Funding and Protect Maine's School Meals Programs

An Act to Maximize Federal Funding and Protect Maine's School Meals Programs

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Senator Michael Tipping
Last action
2026-04-29
Official status
Died in Possession of the Senate when the Legislature adjourned Sine Die and was PLACED IN THE LEGISLATIVE FILES . (DEAD)
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.

An Act to Maximize Federal Funding and Protect Maine's School Meals Programs

An Act to Maximize Federal Funding and Protect Maine's School Meals Programs Sponsor: Senator Michael Tipping Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Maximize Federal Funding and Protect Maine's School Meals Programs Sponsor: Senator Michael Tipping Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR1496(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR1496(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 577 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • S- ) 3EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-29 Senate

    Died in Possession of the Senate when the Legislature adjourned Sine Die and was PLACED IN THE LEGISLATIVE FILES . (DEAD)

  2. 2025-06-16 House

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-06-12 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

  4. 2025-05-15 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-05-15 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-02-19 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Maximize Federal Funding and Protect Maine's School Meals Programs
Sponsor:
Senator Michael Tipping
Reference committee:
Education and Cultural Affairs
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 577
S.P. 258 In Senate, February 25, 2025
An Act to Address Student Hunger and Nutrition Through
Expanded Access to Free Milk in Schools
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on February 19, 2025. Referred to the Committee
on Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot.

Page 1 - 132LR1496(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6602-A is enacted to read:
3§6602-A. Free Milk Fund
41. Fund established. The Free Milk Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is
5 established in the department to issue grants to eligible school administrative units to
6 reimburse the cost of providing milk at no cost to students who do not receive a lunch
7 through a school food service program established in section 6602. The fund consists of
8 money received as appropriations, allocations and contributions from public and private
9 sources. The fund must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and
10 accounts. Interest earned by the fund must be credited to the fund. Any unexpended
11 balances remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year do not lapse and must be carried
12 forward to the next fiscal year.
13 For the purposes of this section, "eligible school administrative unit" means a school
14 administrative unit that participates in the National School Lunch Program under 7 Code
15 of Federal Regulations, Part 210 and that meets federal compliance requirements
16 established by that program.
172. Rules. The department shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5,
18 chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of the fund.
19SUMMARY
20 This bill establishes the Free Milk Fund in the Department of Education, which the
21 department must use to issue grants to eligible school administrative units to reimburse the
22 cost of providing milk at no cost to students who do not receive a lunch through a school
23 food service program.
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