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 middle schools (grades 6-8), and by the 2028-2029 school year, it will extend to all public high schools, ensuring that all students have access to free meals.

The bill emphasizes maximizing student participation in the meal programs through various strategies, including providing breakfast that can be consumed outside the cafeteria, making breakfast available in classrooms, collaborating with health and wellness committees, and ensuring adequate lunch periods for students. Additionally, public educational entities are required to seek to maximize access to federal funds to support the program by participating in federal nutrition programs.

The legislation also outlines requirements for improving meal quality, such as complying with state nutrition standards, purchasing locally grown food, freshly preparing meals, and engaging students and families in menu development. Public educational entities must report quarterly on the use of locally sourced food items in their meal programs.

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

Furthermore, the General Assembly is mandated to make annual appropriations to cover the costs of providing free meals to students in state-subsidized early childhood education programs and K-12 students who would otherwise be required to pay for meals. 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 administration and implementation of the program.

The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.