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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0704*
HOUSE BILL 704
F1 6lr1402
CF 6lr1403
By: Delegates Palakovich Carr, Shetty, Acevero, Allen, Amprey, Bartlett, Behler,
Boafo, Charkoudian, Crutchfield, Cullison, Ebersole, Fair, Feldmark, Foley,
Forbes, Guyton, Guzzone, Hill, D. Jones, Kaiser, Kaufman, Kerr, Lehman,
Lewis, J. Long, Lopez, McCaskill, Moreno, Pasteur, Pruski, Queen, Rogers,
Ruff, Ruth, Simpson, Smith, Solomon, Spiegel, Stein, Stewart, Stinn ett,
Taveras, Terrasa, Vogel, Wells, White Holland, Williams, Wims, Wolek,
Woorman, Wu, Young, and Ziegler
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means and Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program 3
in the State Department of Education to provide funding to eligible schools that 4
participate in the f ederal community eligibility provision of the child nutrition 5
programs; and generally relating to the Community Eligibility Provision Expansion 6
Program. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Education 9
Section 7–606 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2025 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Education 15
7–606. 16
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PROGRAM” MEANS THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY 17
PROVISION EXPANSION PROGRAM. 18
2 HOUSE BILL 704
(B) THERE IS A COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION EXPANSION 1
PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT. 2
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 3
(D) (1) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING IN 4
ACCORDANCE WITH PARA GRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION TO ELIGIB LE SCHOOLS 5
THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE FEDERAL COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE 6
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. 7
(2) THE STATE SHALL PAY THE D IFFERENCE BETWEEN TH E 8
APPLICABLE FEDERAL P AID REIMBURSEMENT RA TE AND THE FEDERAL F REE 9
REIMBURSEMENT RATE , AS SET ANNUALLY BY T HE U.S. SECRETARY OF 10
AGRICULTURE UNDER 42 U.S.C. § 1759A. 11
(3) THE FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO 12
COMPLEMENT AND NOT R EPLACE FEDERAL FUNDS RECEIVED UNDER THE 13
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. 14
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 15
(1) DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR COUNTY BOARDS TO PAR TICIPATE IN 16
THE PROGRAM BASED ON FUNDING AVAILABILITY; 17
(2) ENSURE THAT PROGRAM FUNDING IS DI STRIBUTED BASED ON 18
THE CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION 19
OF EACH COUNTY BOARD; 20
(3) CONSIDER GEOGRAPHIC D IVERSITY IN DETERMIN ING FUNDING 21
PRIORITIZATION; AND 22
(4) DISTRIBUTE FUNDS TO ELIGIBLE COUNTY BOARDS. 23
(F) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, THE 24
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E AN APPROPRIATION O F $10,000,000 IN THE ANNUAL 25
BUDGET BILL FOR THE PROGRAM. 26
(G) IT IS THE INTENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT THE STATE, EACH 27
COUNTY BOARD, AND PARTICIPATING NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS MAXIMIZE THE USE OF 28
ALL AVAILABLE FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS IN CARRYING OUT THE REQUIREMENTS 29
OF THE PROGRAM. 30
(H) (1) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER, 31
HOUSE BILL 704 3
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE 1
WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE PROGRAM. 2
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL 3
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM: 4
(I) THE OUTCOMES OF THE PROGRAM; AND 5
(II) THE AMOUNT OF SCHOOL MEAL DEBT INCURRED B Y 6
STUDENTS, DISAGGREGATED BY THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL, AND HOW THE LOCAL 7
SCHOOL SYSTEM RESOLVED THE DEBT. 8
(3) IF ANY SCHOOLS WITHIN A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM ARE ELIGIBLE 9
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEDERAL COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISIO N OF THE 10
CHILD NUTRITION PROG RAMS DUE TO AN IDENTIFIED STUDENT PERCENTAGE OF 11
25% OR GREATER, BUT ELECT NOT TO PARTICIPATE, THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYS TEM 12
SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN THE REPORT REQUIRED UNDER 13
THIS SUBSECTION: 14
(I) THE REASONS THE SCHOOL ELECTED NOT TO PARTICIPATE 15
IN THE FEDERAL COMMUNITY EL IGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE CHILD NUTRITI ON 16
PROGRAMS; 17
(II) AN ESTIMATE OF THE NE T COST OR SAVINGS TO THE 18
SCHOOL IF THE SCHOOL HAD EL ECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEDERAL 19
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS; 20
(III) THE PROJECTED COST OF OPERATING THE FEDERAL 21
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS IN THE 22
SCHOOL; AND 23
(IV) THE ANTICIPATED AMOUN T OF FEDERAL 24
REIMBURSEMENTS ASSOC IATED WITH PARTICIPA TION IN THE FEDERAL 25
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. 26
(4) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PUBL ISH THE REPORT REQUIRED 27
UNDER THIS SUBSECTION ON ITS WEBSITE IN A SEARCHABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE 28
FORMAT, DISAGGREGATED BY LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM AND INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL. 29
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 30
1, 2026. 31