23.0879.03000
Sixty-eighth
Legislative Assembly HOUSE BILL NO. 1494
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives Ista, Beltz, Hager, Heinert, Jonas, Mock, Murphy, O'Brien, Richter
Senators Barta, Braunberger, Hogan
1 A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 15.1-07 of the North Dakota
2 Century Code, relating to school meal policies.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
4 SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 15.1-07 of the North Dakota Century Code is created
5 and enacted as follows:
6 School districts - Policy - School meals.
7 A school district participating in the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
8 [42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.] shall adopt a school meals policy and publish the policy on the school
9 district's website. A school meals policy must ensure:
10 1. A school may not deny a meal to, or serve an alternative meal to a student with an
11 unpaid student meal balance or without funds to pay for a meal.
12 2. A school may not dispose of or take away from a child any food that already has been
13 served to the child on account of the child having an unpaid student meal balance or
14 lacking the funds to pay for a meal.
15 3. A school may not identify or stigmatize a student as receiving a free, reduced-price, or
16 full-price meal, or a meal for which the child lacks funds to pay, including the use of
17 tokens, stickers, stamps, or by placing the child's name on a published list of persons
18 with student meal debt.
19 4. A school may not limit a student's participation in any school activities, graduation
20 ceremonies, field trips, athletics, activity clubs, or other extracurricular activities or
21 access to materials, technology, or other items provided to students due to an unpaid
22 student meal balance.
23 5. A school may not require a student to provide services or perform work, including
24 cleaning duties or chores, to pay for school meals debt.
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 Sixty-eighth
Legislative Assembly
1 6. A school may not use a collections agency to collect unpaid school meals debt. A
2 school may not charge or collect fees or additional costs associated with school meals
3 debt. A school may require a child deliver a sealed letter addressed to the child's
4 parent or guardian containing a written communication regarding the unpaid school
5 meal debt. The letter may not be distributed to the child in a manner that stigmatizes
6 the child.
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