APPROVED CHAPTER
JULY 27, 2023 457
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE
_____
H.P. 755 - L.D. 1183
An Act to Establish the School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement
Fund
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6664 is enacted to read:
§6664. School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund
1. School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund. The School Meal
Equipment and Program Improvement Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is
established in the department to issue grants to eligible school administrative units to
improve school meal equipment and programs. The fund consists of money received as
appropriations, allocations and contributions from private and public sources. The fund
must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. Eligible
investment earnings credited to the assets of the fund become part of the assets of the fund.
Any unexpended balances remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year do not lapse
and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. The fund may be used to provide grants
to eligible school administrative units to:
A. Purchase school kitchen and cafeteria equipment needed to serve healthy meals that
meet federal nutrition standards;
B. Improve food safety in school kitchens and cafeterias;
C. Support the maintenance and expansion of the National School Lunch Program and
the School Breakfast Program within the school administrative unit; and
D. Reimburse food costs related to medically necessary dietary restrictions of students.
For the purposes of this subsection, "eligible school administrative unit" means a school
administrative unit that participates in the National School Lunch Program under 7 Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 210 and the School Breakfast Program under 7 Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 220 and that meets federal compliance requirements established by the
United States Department of Agriculture for those programs.
2. Federal grant funding. The department shall apply for any federal grants available
for the purposes of this section.
Page 1 - 131LR1044(05)
 3. Rules. The department shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5,
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of the fund.
Sec. 2. Department of Education, Alternative Breakfast Delivery Service
Program; lapsed balances. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
$343,781 of unencumbered balance forward from the Department of Education,
Alternative Breakfast Delivery Service Program, General Fund carrying account, All Other
line category lapses to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund no later than June
30, 2024.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund N448
Initiative: Provides base allocations to authorize expenditures in the event funds are
received from federal grants.
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 2023-24 2024-25
All Other $500 $500
__________ __________
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL $500 $500
School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund N448
Initiative: Provides one-time funds for grants to eligible school administrative units to
purchase school kitchen and cafeteria equipment, improve food safety in school kitchens
and cafeterias, reimburse food costs related to medically necessary dietary restrictions of
students and support the maintenance and expansion of the National School Lunch Program
and the federal School Breakfast Program within the school administrative units.
GENERAL FUND 2023-24 2024-25
All Other $343,781 $0
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $343,781 $0
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2023-24 2024-25
GENERAL FUND $343,781 $0
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND $500 $500
__________ __________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $344,281 $500
Page 2 - 131LR1044(05)