This bill establishes an exemption for the Department of Public Instruction regarding the allocation of $6,000,000 from the general fund for grants aimed at covering qualified delinquent meal debt incurred by school districts. Specifically, the bill allows these funds, appropriated for free meals, to be carried over into the biennium from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, despite the usual restrictions outlined in section 54-44.1-11. The definition of "qualified delinquent meal debt" is specified as any meal debt accrued between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the superintendent of public instruction distribute grant funds to school districts based on their proportional share of total statewide qualified delinquent meal debt as of June 30, 2025, with the stipulation that the amount granted cannot exceed the actual delinquent meal debt of each district at that time. Furthermore, the superintendent is required to provide a report to legislative management detailing the continued funding, the total delinquent meal debt by each school district, and the grant funding allocated to them.