This bill mandates that school districts with meal programs approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) implement policies that ensure students with unpaid meal balances are not denied meals or stigmatized. Key provisions include prohibiting schools from serving alternative meals, taking away food already served, or identifying students based on their meal payment status. Additionally, the bill forbids schools from limiting students' participation in activities due to unpaid meal balances and prohibits the use of collections agencies for collecting meal debts. Schools are also required to develop outreach plans to encourage families to apply for free and reduced-price meal programs and can accept voluntary donations to help alleviate meal debt.

Furthermore, the bill requires the Department of Education to cover the school meal debts accrued by students participating in the USDA National School Lunch program by the end of each fiscal year. An appropriation of $1 is made for the biennium ending June 30, 2026, to facilitate this payment. The bill does not provide funding for new positions but indicates that the Department of Education may need to hire a program specialist to manage the implementation of these policies, with estimated costs for this position outlined for the following fiscal years. Overall, the bill aims to ensure that no child goes without a meal due to financial constraints while also addressing the issue of unpaid meal debts in schools.