House Bill No. 218 mandates the inclusion of questions regarding food insecurity on the residency questionnaire administered to public school students in Louisiana. The state Department of Education, in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Health, is tasked with developing these questions, which must be distributed to students in grades K-12 during enrollment, changes of address, or when there is reasonable suspicion of food insecurity. Additionally, schools that do not offer a free lunch program or participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision must provide the questionnaire annually to students classified as economically disadvantaged.

If a student's responses indicate a risk of food insecurity, schools are required to inform the parents or guardians about available resources, including public assistance and community food services. The Louisiana Department of Health will compile this resource information and provide it to schools at no cost. The bill also ensures that responses remain confidential, prohibits the use of questionnaire data for making decisions about student instruction or discipline, and limits liability for school boards and employees regarding actions associated with the provisions of this law. The new requirements will also apply to charter schools.