The proposed legislation establishes a statewide "Healthy School Meals for All" program in Rhode Island, aimed at providing universal access to free breakfast and lunch for all public school students. The program will be phased in over three years, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year with all public elementary schools required to make breakfasts and lunches available to elementary students. In the 2027-2028 school year, the program will expand to include all public elementary and middle schools (through grade 8), and by the 2028-2029 school year, it will extend to all public elementary, middle, and high schools.

The bill emphasizes maximizing access to federal funds to offset the costs of providing free meals and outlines specific operational requirements for public educational entities. These requirements include strategies to increase student participation, such as providing breakfast meals that can be picked up outside the cafeteria, making breakfast available in classrooms, collaborating with health and wellness committees, and ensuring lunch periods of at least twenty minutes.

Additionally, the legislation mandates that public educational entities seek to improve meal quality by complying with state nutrition requirements, purchasing locally grown food items, freshly preparing meals, and engaging students and families in menu development. Public educational entities are also required to report quarterly on the use of locally sourced food items.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will reimburse public educational entities for the difference between the federal free reimbursement rate and the federal reimbursement rate received for each meal served. The General Assembly is required to make annual appropriations to cover the costs of providing free meals and to support one full-time equivalent employee at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for program administration. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.