The bill proposes the establishment of a universal free school breakfast and lunch program for all public school students in Florida, amending existing statutes to reflect this initiative. It requires the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to implement the program, contingent upon legislative funding. The bill specifies that school districts must provide eligible breakfast and lunch meals at no cost to all students in grades K-12, and it deletes previous provisions that mandated school districts to charge for breakfast programs or only implement them in certain districts. Additionally, the bill revises the information that school districts must communicate to parents regarding the availability of these meals.

Key definitions are introduced, including "community eligibility provision" and "special assistance alternative," which relate to federal programs that allow schools to provide free meals to all students. The bill also allows school districts to operate meal programs using offsite food preparation locations and emphasizes maximizing access to federal funding for these programs. The effective date for the implementation of this act is set for July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 119 Filed: 595.402, 595.405, 595.404