School breakfasts; availability at no cost to students.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how much money will be available for reimbursements or what happens if a parent does not give permission for their child to receive free breakfast.

Free School Breakfasts for Students

This bill requires public schools in Virginia to provide free breakfasts to students who request them, unless a parent gives written permission otherwise.

What This Bill Does

• Requires each school board to ensure that all public elementary and secondary schools participate in the federal School Breakfast Program and make breakfast available at no cost to any student who requests it, unless the parent has given written permission for the child not to receive free breakfast.
• Reimburses schools from state funds for each free breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one breakfast per student per school day.

Who It Names or Affects

• Public elementary and secondary school students in Virginia
• School boards and public schools in Virginia

Terms To Know

National School Lunch Program

A federal program that provides free or low-cost lunches to children at schools.

Department of Education

The state agency responsible for overseeing education in Virginia.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify how much money will be available for reimbursements.
• Does not address what happens if a parent does not give permission for their child to receive free breakfast.

Official Summary Text

School breakfast; availability at no cost to students.
Requires each school board to require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make breakfast available to any student who requests such a meal at no cost to the student, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student. The bill requires the Department of Education to reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for each school breakfast served to a student, with a maximum of one breakfast per student per school day, and provides the formula for determining the state reimbursement rate for such meals. Finally, the bill repeals a provision of law relating to the federal School Breakfast Program that is rendered obsolete by the provisions of the bill.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend and reenact §
22.1-79.7:1
of the Code of Virginia and to repeal §
22.1-207.3
of the Code of Virginia, relating to school breakfast; availability at no cost to students.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §
22.1-79.7:1
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§
22.1-79.7:1
. School meals; availability of school breakfast to students at no cost.

A. Each school board shall require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make
(i)
lunch
and breakfast
available
pursuant to
such programs
the federal National School Lunch Program
to any student who requests
such
a
meal
school lunch
, regardless of whether such student has the money to pay for the
meal
lunch
or owes money for meals previously provided
and (ii) breakfast available
pursuant to the federal School Breakfast Program
to any student who requests a school breakfast
at no cost to the student
, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student.

B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the ability of a school board to collect payment for meals provided pursuant to subsection A, provided, however, that no such school board shall utilize a nongovernmental third-party debt collector to collect on such debt.
The Department shall reimburse each public elementary and secondary school for
each school breakfast served to a student
, with a maximum of one breakfast per student per school day. The state reimbursement amount shall be the difference between the amount paid by the U
.
S
.
Department of Agriculture and the free rate as set annually by the U
.
S
.
Secretary of Agriculture under 42
U.S.C. § 1759a for each school.

C. The Department may promulgate such rules as deemed necessary for the implementation of this section.

2. That §
22.1-207.3
of the Code of Virginia is repealed.