Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1720 By Senator Torres 15-01816-21 20211720__ Page 1 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to school meals; amending s. 595.405, 2 F.S.; revising provisions relating to school nutrition 3 program requirements; requiring district school boards 4 that participate in the National School Lunch Program 5 to provide meals to a student regardless of his or her 6 ability to pay or whether he or she has any unpaid 7 meal charges; prohibiting certain students from being 8 required to destroy or dispose of a meal based on any 9 unpaid meal charges; providing an exception; requiring 10 district school boards to adopt policies regarding 11 unpaid meal charges; providing an effective date. 12 13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 14 15

Section

Section 595.405, Florida Statutes, is amended to 16 read: 17 595.405 School nutrition program requirements.— 18

(1) Each district school board shall consider the 19 recommendations of the district school superintendent and adopt 20 policies to provide for an appropriate food and nutrition 21 program for students consistent with federal law and department 22 rules. 23

(2) Each district school board is encouraged to provide 24 universal, free school breakfast meals to all students in each 25 elementary, middle, and high school. 26 (

a) Each district school board shall implement school 27 breakfast programs that make breakfast meals available to all 28 students in each school that serves any combination of grades 29 Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1720 15-01816-21 20211720__ Page 2 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. kindergarten through 5. 30 (b)

(3) Each district school board must annually set prices 31 for breakfast meals at rates that, combined with federal 32 reimbursements and state allocations, are sufficient to defray 33 costs of school breakfast programs without requiring allocations 34 from the district’s operating funds, except if the district 35 school board approves lower rates. 36 (c)

(4) Each school operating a breakfast program shall make 37 a breakfast meal available if a student arrives at school on the 38 school bus less than 15 minutes before the first bell rings and 39 shall allow the student at least 15 minutes to eat the 40 breakfast. 41 (d)

(5) Each district school board is encouraged to provide 42 universal, free school breakfast meals to all students in each 43 elementary, middle, and high school. A universal school 44 breakfast program shall be implemented in each school in which 45 80 percent or more of the students are eligible for free or 46 reduced-price meals, unless the district school board, after 47 considering public testimony at two or more regularly scheduled 48 board meetings, decides not to implement such a program in such 49 schools. 50 (e)

(6) To increase school breakfast and universal school 51 breakfast program participation, each district school board 52 must, to the maximum extent practicable, make breakfast meals 53 available to students through alternative service models as 54 described in publications of the Food and Nutrition Service of 55 the United States Department of Agriculture for the federal 56 School Breakfast Program. 57 (f)

(7) Each district school board shall annually provide 58 Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1720 15-01816-21 20211720__ Page 3 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. information prepared by the district’s food service 59 administration regarding available school breakfast programs. 60 The information shall be communicated through school 61 announcements and notices sent to all parents. 62 (g)

(8) A district school board may operate a breakfast 63 program providing for food preparation at the school site or in 64 central locations with distribution to designated satellite 65 schools, or any combination thereof. 66

(3) A district school board that participates in the 67 National School Lunch Program must: 68 (

a) Provide a meal under the program to any student who 69 requests one, regardless of his or her ability to pay or whether 70 he or she has any unpaid meal charges. 71 1. A student who is provided a meal under this paragraph 72 may not be required to destroy or otherwise dispose of the meal 73 because he or she has unpaid meal charges. 74 2. This paragraph does not apply if the parent or guardian 75 of a student has given written permission to the school district 76 to withhold a meal from the student. 77 (

b) Adopt policies for unpaid meal charges that include: 78 1. Requirements that protect students with unpaid meal 79 charges from being publicly identified or stigmatized because of 80 such charges. 81 2. Procedures for a student who has $10 or more in unpaid 82 meal charges which require: 83 a. A determination as to whether the student may qualify 84 for a free or reduced-price meal without an application. 85 b.

That at least two attempts are made to contact the 86 parent or guardian about completing an application for free or 87 Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1720 15-01816-21 20211720__ Page 4 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. reduced-price meals which include the offer of assistance with 88 the application. 89

Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021. 90