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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0586*
SENATE BILL 586
F1 6lr1403
SB 769/25 – B&T & EEE CF HB 704
By: Senator Guzzone
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2026
Assigned to: Budget and Taxation and Education, Energy, and the Environment
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 federal 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
(B) THERE IS A COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION EXPANSION 19
PROGRAM IN THE DEPARTMENT. 20
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM. 21
(D) (1) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING IN 22
2 SENATE BILL 586
ACCORDANCE WITH PARA GRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION T O ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS 1
THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE FEDERAL COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE 2
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. 3
(2) THE STATE SHALL PAY THE D IFFERENCE BETWEEN TH E 4
APPLICABLE FEDERAL P AID REIMBURSEMENT RA TE AND THE FEDERAL F REE 5
REIMBURSEMENT RATE , AS SET ANNUALLY BY T HE U.S. SECRETARY OF 6
AGRICULTURE UNDER 42 U.S.C. § 1759A. 7
(3) THE FUNDING PROVIDED UNDER THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO 8
COMPLEMENT AND NOT R EPLACE FEDERAL FUNDS RECEIVED UNDER THE 9
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION OF THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. 10
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 11
(1) DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR COUNTY BOARDS TO PARTICIPAT E IN 12
THE PROGRAM BASED ON FUNDING AVAILABILITY; 13
(2) ENSURE THAT PROGRAM FUNDING IS DI STRIBUTED BASED ON 14
THE CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION 15
OF EACH COUNTY BOARD; 16
(3) CONSIDER GEOGRAPHIC D IVERSITY IN DETERMINING FUNDI NG 17
PRIORITIZATION; AND 18
(4) DISTRIBUTE FUNDS TO ELIGIBLE COUNTY BOARDS. 19
(F) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER, THE 20
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E AN APPROPRIATION O F $10,000,000 IN THE ANNUAL 21
BUDGET BILL FOR THE PROGRAM. 22
(G) IT IS THE INTENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT THE STATE, EACH 23
COUNTY BOARD, AND PARTICIPATING NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS MAXIMIZE THE USE OF 24
ALL AVAILABLE FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS IN CARRYING OUT THE REQUIREMENTS 25
OF THE PROGRAM. 26
(H) (1) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, AND EACH JULY 1 THEREAFTER, 27
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE 28
WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON THE PROGRAM. 29
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL 30
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM EACH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM: 31
SENATE BILL 586 3
(I) THE STATUS AND OUTCOMES OF THE PROGRAM; AND 1
(II) THE AMOUNT OF SCHOOL MEAL DEBT INCURRED B Y 2
STUDENTS, DISAGGREGATED BY THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL, AND HOW THE LOCAL 3
SCHOOL SYSTEM RESOLVED THE DEBT. 4
(3) IF ANY SCHOOLS WITHIN A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM ARE ELIGIBLE 5
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM DUE TO AN IDENTIFIED STUDENT PERCENTAGE 6
OF 25% OR GREATER, BUT ELECT NOT TO PARTICIPATE, THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM 7
SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN THE REPORT REQUIRED UNDER 8
THIS SUBSECTION: 9
(I) THE REASONS THE SCHOOL ELECTED NOT TO PARTICIPATE 10
IN THE PROGRAM; 11
(II) AN ESTIMATE OF THE NE T COST OR SAVINGS TO THE 12
SCHOOL IF THE SCHOOL HAD ELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM; 13
(III) THE PROJECTED COST OF OPERATING THE PROGRAM IN 14
THE SCHOOL; AND 15
(IV) THE ANTICIPATED AMOUN T OF FEDERAL 16
REIMBURSEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM. 17
(4) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PUBL ISH THE REPORT REQUI RED 18
UNDER THIS SUBSECTION ON ITS WEBSITE IN A SEARCHABLE AND DOWNLOADABLE 19
FORMAT, DISAGGREGATED BY LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM AND INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL. 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
1, 2026. 22