This bill aims to improve access to nutritious meals for students in New Hampshire by mandating local school districts to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to students from households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. It amends existing law by replacing the requirement for "at least one meal" with a requirement for both "breakfast and lunch" to be available during school hours, while also removing the previous provision that allowed meals to be served at a reduced cost based on federal income eligibility guidelines. The bill ensures that meals served to qualifying students will be reimbursed according to federal law, with the state covering 50 percent of the difference between federal reimbursement rates for free and reduced-price meals. Additionally, the bill introduces provisions for the Department of Education to adopt rules for offering both online and physical applications for free or reduced-price meals, allocating $107,000 for administrative costs and $500,000 for software related to the online application process. It also proposes to reimburse the difference between paid and free meal rates for students whose income falls between the federal reduced-price guideline of 185% and the proposed 200%, with an estimated cost of approximately $6,937,949. To support implementation, the bill calls for hiring two positions to manage the new eligibility determination process and provide technical assistance to schools, while acknowledging the potential administrative burdens on local school districts. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 189:11-a