Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State to reimburse federally unreimbursed costs of snacks provided to children at certain preschools; appropriates $100,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning snacks provided to children in certain preschools, supplementing P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-3.2 et al.), amending various parts of the statutory law, and providing an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 1 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-3.2) is amended to read as follows:
1. As used in this chapter:
"Categorically eligible" means that a student is homeless, is a migrant child, is a runaway child, is a foster child, or is a Head Start child, as defined in 7 C.F.R. Part 245, or is receiving assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or, to the extent that the United States Department of Agriculture authorizes the matching of Medicaid data to identify children who are eligible for free school meals, is a participant in the Medicaid program, and which student, by virtue of such status, is automatically eligible to be certified to receive free school meals under the National School Lunch Program or the federal School Breakfast Program, without first submitting an application or being subject to the federal income verification requirements established by 7 C.F.R. Part 245.
Child and Adult Care Food Program or CACFP means the federal reimbursement program, established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. s.1751 et seq., pursuant to which the United States Department of Agriculture is authorized to provide grants-in-aid and other assistance to the States, as may be necessary to help finance the establishment, maintenance, and ongoing operation of nonprofit snack and other food service programs at eligible child care centers, child care facilities, and other day care institutions, as defined in 42 U.S.C. s.1766 and 7 C.F.R. Part 226, and facilitate the provision of free and reduced price meals and meal supplements to eligible preschoolers and certain at-risk students receiving nonresidential day care services therefrom.
"Community Eligibility Provision" means a type of special assistance alternative, identified at 7 C.F.R. Part 245, pursuant to which the United States Department of Agriculture provides reimbursement for free school meals that are provided by eligible, high-poverty local educational agencies and schools that participate in both the National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program.
Eligible applicant preschool or eligible preschool or applicant preschool means federally approved or a federally unapproved participant preschool which timely submits an application to the State Department of Agriculture, pursuant to federal law and paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2018, c.26 (C.18A:33-14.1), seeking a reimbursement grant award under the Preschool Snack Reimbursement Grant Program.
Eligible preschooler means a preschool-aged child who is categorically eligible, income-eligible, or statutorily eligible for one or more subsidized preschool snacks.
"Eligible student" means a student who is categorically eligible or income-eligible for one or more subsidized school meals.
"Emergency meals distribution program" means a program, established under section 1 of P.L.2020, c.6 (C.18A:33-27.2), pursuant to which a school district is required to provide subsidized school meals to eligible students, through designated distribution sites, during any period in which a school in the district is subject to a public health-related closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Federal School Breakfast Program" means the federal reimbursement program, established under the "Child Nutrition Act of 1966," 42 U.S.C. s.1771 et seq., pursuant to which the United States Department of Agriculture is authorized to provide grants-in-aid and other assistance to the States, as may be necessary to help finance the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of school breakfast programs and facilitate the provision of free and reduced price breakfasts to eligible students.
Federally approved participant preschool or federally approved means a preschool that has applied for and has received, from the United States Department of Agriculture, federal approval to participate in, and to offer federally reimbursable snacks to enrolled preschoolers under, the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
"Federally [eligible for free or reduced price meals" or "federally] eligible" means that a student or preschooler, as the case may be, is categorically eligible for free lunch under the National School Lunch Program [or], for free breakfast under the federal School Breakfast Program, or for free snacks under the Child and Adult Care Food Program, or [that the student] satisfies federal income eligibility requirements, adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to 7 C.F.R. Part 245 or 7 C.F.R. Part 226, as appropriate, as is necessary to federally qualify for and receive free or reduced price lunch under the National School Lunch Program [or], free or reduced price breakfast under the federal School Breakfast Program, or free or reduced price snacks under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program.
"Federally [ineligible for free or reduced price meals" or "federally] ineligible" means that a student or preschooler, as the case may be, is not categorically eligible for, and fails to satisfy federal income eligibility requirements, adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to 7 C.F.R. Part 245 or 7 C.F.R. Part 226, as appropriate, as is necessary for the student to federally qualify for and receive free or reduced price lunch under the National School Lunch Program [or], free or reduced price breakfast under the federal School Breakfast Program, or free or reduced price snacks under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Federally reimbursable preschool snack program means a preschool snack program that is operated by or at a federally approved preschool.
Federally unapproved participant preschool or federally unapproved means a public preschool that has submitted, to the United States Department of Agriculture, an initial, but still incomplete or otherwise pending, application indicating the preschools intent, and seeking formal federal approval, to participate in and to provide federally reimbursable preschool snacks to enrolled preschoolers under the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Federally unapproved participant preschool or federally unapproved includes