House Bill 12, sponsored by Clemmons, amends Tennessee Code Annotated regarding school meals by requiring each local school board to establish both a school lunch and breakfast program that provides free meals to all enrolled students. The bill mandates that the state reimburse local education agencies (LEAs) for the costs of these free meals after accounting for any federal funds received from programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the Child Nutrition Act.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing language in Section 49-6-2303 by removing the phrase ", regardless of its participation" from subdivision (5) and eliminating subdivision (10) entirely. The changes are set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to the 2025-2026 school year and subsequent years.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-6-2302, 49-6-2303