This bill mandates that all public schools in Minnesota, including charter schools, must offer at least one plant-based meal option daily as part of their regular lunch service, starting from the 2026-2027 school year. A "plant-based meal option" is defined as a meal that contains no animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, or eggs, and must comply with federal nutrition guidelines. Schools are required to provide these options upon prior written request from students and must ensure that information about the availability of these meals is accessible to students, parents, and guardians.

To facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Department of Education will develop guidelines and resources for schools, including training for school nutrition teams. Schools will also be responsible for reporting annually to the department on their compliance with the new law, detailing the number of plant-based meal options offered, requests received, and any challenges faced. The bill is set to take effect on August 1, 2026, applying to meals served from the start of the 2026-2027 school year.