This bill establishes a statewide "Healthy School Meals for All" program in Rhode Island, which aims to provide universal breakfast and lunch to all public school students. The program will be phased in over three years, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year with all public elementary schools required to make breakfasts and lunches available to elementary students. In the 2028-2029 school year, the program will expand to include all public middle schools, and by the 2029-2030 school year, it will encompass all public elementary and secondary schools, providing meals to students through grade eight and eventually to high school students.

Schools participating in the program will be required to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge to all enrolled students every school day. The bill encourages public educational entities to maximize student participation through various strategies, such as providing breakfast meals that can be picked up for consumption 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 mandates that each public educational entity seek to maximize access to federal funds for the school breakfast and lunch program by participating in federal programs, including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The act also requires public educational entities to improve meal quality by complying with state nutrition requirements, purchasing locally grown food items, freshly preparing foods, and providing culturally relevant meals.

Public educational entities must report data related to the purchasing of locally grown food items to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education quarterly. The department will reimburse these 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 support the program, including funding for a full-time employee at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to aid in its administration. The appropriations will also cover the cost of providing meals at no charge for children in state-subsidized early childhood education programs. Schools designated as eligible for the CEP in grades K-5 will be authorized to participate, and the state will cover the costs for non-eligible grades in the first year of implementation. All local education agencies and eligible schools must participate in the CEP if they meet the criteria, and failure to do so without a valid exemption may result in the forfeiture of state funding intended for CEP-related costs.

The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2027.