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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 776
H.P. 501 House of Representatives, March 4, 2025
An Act to Provide Free School Lunches to Special Purpose Private
Schools That Receive Students from the Public School System
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 26, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative O'HALLORAN of Brewer.
Cosponsored by Representatives: BUNKER of Farmington, DEBRITO of Waterville, DILL of
Old Town, HENDERSON of Rumford, MILLIKEN of Blue Hill, MONTELL of Gardiner,
ROLLINS of Augusta, WEBB of Durham.
Page 1 - 132LR1040(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2021, c. 759, Pt. D,
3 §2, is further amended to read:
4 D. A public school, a special purpose private school that receives publicly funded
5 students or a private school approved for tuition purposes, as defined in section 1,
6 subsection 23, that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students as determined by the
7 previous year's October and April average enrollment and participates in the National
8 School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 210
9 (2007) that serves lunch shall provide a student who is eligible for free and reduced-
10 price meals under paragraph A a meal that meets the requirements of the federal
11 National School Lunch Program set forth in 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 210
12 (2019) at no cost to the student. The State shall provide to the public school, special
13 purpose private school or private school approved for tuition purposes funding equal
14 to the difference between the federal reimbursement for a free lunch and the federal
15 reimbursement for a reduced-price lunch for each student eligible for a reduced-price
16 lunch and receiving lunch.
17Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ¶I, as amended by PL 2021, c. 759, Pt. D, §4,
18 is further amended to read:
19 I. A public school, a special purpose private school that receives publicly funded
20 students or a private school approved for tuition purposes, as defined in section 1,
21 subsection 23, that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students as determined by the
22 previous year's October and April average enrollment and participates in the National
23 School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 210
24 (2007) that serves lunch shall provide a student who is ineligible for free or reduced-
25 price meals under paragraph A a meal that meets the requirements of the federal
26 National School Lunch Program set forth in 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 210
27 (2019) at no cost to the student. The State shall provide to the public school, special
28 purpose private school or private school approved for tuition purposes funding equal
29 to the difference between the federal reimbursement for a free lunch and the full price
30 of the lunch for each student ineligible for a free or reduced-price lunch and receiving
31 lunch.
32SUMMARY
33 This bill amends the laws governing school food service programs to provide free
34 school lunches to special purpose private schools that receive publicly funded students and
35 participate in the National School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 Code of Federal
36 Regulations, Part 210 (2007).
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