This bill aims to provide every public school student in Arkansas with one free breakfast each school day upon request, regardless of their eligibility for federally funded free or reduced-price meals. The new provision, added to Arkansas Code 6-18-722, states that starting in the 2025-2026 school year, students who do not qualify for existing meal programs will still receive a breakfast at no cost. The Department of Education is tasked with ensuring funding for this initiative, utilizing federal funds where available, and if those are insufficient, state funds will be used to cover the costs.

Additionally, the bill establishes a new Food Insecurity Fund to support this initiative and other related programs. It modifies existing laws regarding the distribution of sales tax revenue from medical marijuana to redirect funds to this new fund, which will consist of general revenues, transfers from the General Revenue Fund, and private grants. The bill also includes provisions for the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services to certify their funding needs annually, ensuring that the necessary resources are allocated to meet the requirements of the new breakfast program. An emergency clause is included to expedite the implementation of these changes.

Statutes affected:
Old version SB59 Original - 1-14-2025 03:36 PM: 6-18-722
Old version SB59 V2 - 1-30-2025 12:46 PM: 6-18-722, 19-5-202(b)
Old version SB59 V3 - 2-4-2025 02:58 PM: 6-18-722, 19-5-202(b)
Old version SB59 V4 - 2-12-2025 10:09 AM: 6-18-722, 19-5-202(b)
SB 59: 6-18-722
Act 123: 6-18-722, 19-5-202(b)