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 students in public schools. 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 school students (through grade 8). By the 2028-2029 school year, all public elementary and secondary schools will be required to provide breakfasts and lunches to all students, including high schoolers, in accordance with rules set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture and adopted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The bill mandates that schools participating in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program provide meals without charge to all enrolled students every school day. It also requires public educational entities to seek to achieve the highest level of student participation through various strategies, 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 bill emphasizes maximizing access to federal funds for the school breakfast and lunch program by participating in specific federal programs. It outlines requirements for improving meal quality, including compliance with state nutrition requirements, purchasing locally grown food, freshly preparing meals, and engaging students and families in menu development. Public educational entities must report quarterly on the purchasing of locally grown food items.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is tasked with reimbursing public educational entities for the difference between the federal free reimbursement rate and the federal reimbursement rate received for each meal served. The department will also adopt necessary rules and regulations for these reimbursements.

Furthermore, the general assembly is required to make annual appropriations to support the provision of free meals for children in state-subsidized early childhood education programs and K-12 students participating in the school lunch or breakfast program. An additional appropriation will support the cost of one full-time equivalent employee at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to aid in the program's administration and implementation. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.