This bill proposes 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 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 funding is designated to reimburse school districts for meal debt that has accumulated between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025. Each district will receive grants based on their proportional share of the total statewide qualified delinquent meal debt as of June 30, 2025, with a cap on the reimbursement not exceeding the district's actual delinquent meal debt.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the superintendent of public instruction provide a report to the legislative management detailing the continued funding, the total delinquent meal debt for each school district, and the grant funding allocated to each district for qualified delinquent meal debt. This report aims to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution of funds and the management of meal debt within the state's school districts.