SB 204-FN-A - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE 03/27/2025 1104s SESSION 25-1010 02/06 SENATE BILL 204-FN-A AN ACT relative to the responsibility of local school districts to provide meals to students during school hours, reimbursing schools for meals provided to students at no cost, and making an appropriation therefor.

Education ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── AMENDED ANALYSIS This bill requiresauthorizes local school districtsboards to provideraise breakfasteligibility andfor lunchfree tomeals, pupilsrequires underthe theirdepartment jurisdictionof ateducation no cost to childrenreimburse fromschools householdswho withraise incomeseligibility, atand orprovides belowan 200appropriation percenttherefor. of the federal poverty level.

It also appropriates funds to reimburse school districts for these costs and to assist schools in establishing an online application process.

SB 204-FN-A - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE 03/27/2025 1104s 25-1010 02/06 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five AN ACT relative to the responsibility of local school districts to provide meals to students during school hours, reimbursing schools for meals provided to students at no cost, and making an appropriation therefor.

1 FoodNew andParagraphs; Nutrition Programs .

AmendFood RSAand 189:11-a,Nutrition IPrograms. to read as follows:

I.Amend RSA 189:11-a by inserting after paragraph VIII the following new paragraphs:

EachIX. school board shall make [at least one meal] breakfast and lunch available during school hours to every pupil under its jurisdiction.

SuchEach mealsschool shallboard bemay servedvote without cost [or at a reduced cost to anyraise child who meets federal income eligibility guidelines]for tofree anymeals childto who lives in a household with an income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

Meals not reimbursed byin theaccordance statewith offederal Newlaw Hampshireand regulations shall be reimbursed by the state of New Hampshire at a rate that covers 50 percent of the difference between the federal rate for a free meal and a reduced-pricereduced- mealprice meal, or the difference between a free meal and a paid meal.

X.(a) The statedepartment board of education shall ensureadopt compliancerules withunder thisRSA section541-A andrequiring shallschool establishdistricts minimumthat nutritionalopt standardsinto for such meals as well as income guidelines set for the familyoptional sizeprogram usedpursuant into determiningparagraph eligibilityIX forto freeoffer and reduced price mea[Nothing in this section shall prohibit the operation of both aonline breakfast and lunchphysical programapplications infor thefree sameschool school.]meals. 2 New Paragraph;

Food(b) The department of education shall provide administrative or technical assistance to school districts establishing an online application for free or reduced-price school meals, and Nutritionwhose Programs.school meal programs are approved to operate through the United States Department of Agriculture.

Amend(c) RSASchool 189:11-adistricts byeligible insertingfor afteradministrative paragraphor VIIItechnical assistance or funding under this section shall be those approved to operate federal school meal programs through the followingUnited newStates paragraph:Department of Agriculture and accepted by the department of education to participate in this expansion of free and reduced lunch benefits.

IX. (a)2 TheAppropriation; department of education shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A requiring school districts that opt into the optional program to offer both online and physical applications for free or reduced-price school meals.

(b)  The department of education shall provide administrative or technical assistance to school districts establishing an online application for free or reduced-price school meals, and whose school meal programs are approved to operate through the United States Department of Agriculture.

(c) School districts eligible for administrative or technical assistance or funding under this section shall be those approved to operate federal school meal programs through the United States Department of Agriculture and have been accepted by the department of education to participate in this expansion of free and reduced lunch benefits.

3 Appropriation;

The amount of $107,000 is appropriated to the department of education for the biennium ending June 30, 2026, for administrative costs related to providing administrative or technical SB 204-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED - Page 2 - assistance to school districts establishing an online application for free or reduced-price school meals.

  The amount of $500,000$250,000 is appropriated to the department of education for the biennium ending June 30, 2026, for disbursement to school districts to be reimbursed at a 50 percent rate pursuant to RSA 189:11-a189:11-a, X(a) and to purchase software related to the establishment of an online SB 204-FN-A - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE - Page 2 - application for free or reduced-price school meals.

43 Effective Date.

This act shall take effect July 1, .0252025. LBA 25-1010 Revised 2/11/25 SB 204-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE AS INTRODUCED AN ACT relative to the responsibility of local school districts to provide meals to students during school hours, reimbursing schools for meals provided to students at no cost, and making an appropriation therefor.

LBA 25-1010 4/30/25 SB 204-FN-A- FISCAL NOTE AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2025-1104s) AN ACT relative to the responsibility of local school districts to provide meals to students during school hours, reimbursing schools for meals provided to students at no cost, and making an appropriation therefor.

This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.positions Estimated State Impact FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 Revenue $0 $0 $0 $0 Revenue Fund(s) None NHED Position Costs $204K in FY 2026, $208K in FY 2027, and $214K in FY 2028 NHED Meal Reimbursements Expenditures* $0 Indeterminable - Up to Approximately $7M Per Year (see methodology below) NHED Software Reimbursement $500,000 in FY 2026 Funding Source(s) General Fund $107,000 for NHED Administrative Costs Appropriations* $0 and $0 $0 $500,000 for Reimbursement to Districts for Software Funding Source(s) General Fund *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill Estimated Political Subdivision Impact FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 Local Revenue $0 Indeterminable Increase Local Expenditures $0 Indeterminable Increase METHODOLOGY:

EstimatedThis Statebill Impactauthorizes FYschool 2025boards FYto 2026vote FYto 2027increase FYeligibility 2028for Revenuefree $0meals $0to $0200 $0percent Revenueof Fund(s)the Nonefederal NHEDpoverty Positionlevel, Costs $204K in FY 2026, $208K in FY 2027, and $214Kprovides ingeneral FYfunds 2028to NHEDthe MealDepartment Reimbursementsof Expenditures*Education $0for Indeterminableadministrative -costs Up($107,000 tofor Approximatelythe $7Mbiennium Perending YearJune (see30, methodology2026, below)which NHEDis Softwareassumed Reimbursementto $500,000be infor FY 2026 Fundingonly) Source(s)and Generalreimbursements Fundto $107,000districts forto NHEDpurchase Administrativesoftware Costsrelated Appropriations*to $0the andestablishment $0of $0an $500,000online forapplication Reimbursement to Districts for Softwarefree Fundingor Source(s)reduced-price Generalschool Fundmeals *Expenditureand =to Costreimburse ofat billa *Appropriation50 =percent Authorizedrate fundingpursuant to coverRSA cost189:11-a of($250,000 billfor Estimatedthe Politicalbiennium Subdivisionending ImpactJune FY30, 20252026, FYwhich 2026is FYassumed 2027to FYbe 2028for LocalFY Revenue2026 $0only). Indeterminable Increase Local Expenditures $0 Indeterminable Increase METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires local school districts to provide breakfast and lunch to pupils under their jurisdiction at no cost to children from households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and provides general funds to the Department of Education for administrative costs ($107,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2026, which is assumed to be for FY 2026 only) and reimbursements to districts to purchase software related to the establishment of an online application for free or reduced-price school meals and to reimburse at a 50 percent rate pursuant to RSA 189:11-a ($500,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2026, which is assumed to be for FY 2026 only).

 Each school board wouldmay bevote required to makeincrease breakfastthe andeligibility lunchrate availablefor a child that qualifies based on a household income less than or equal to every200 childpercent underof itsthe jurisdiction.federal poverty guidelines will be provided meals without cost.

A childThe thatstate qualifieswill basedreimburse onthe aparticipating householdschool incomedistricts lessfor thanany ormeals, equalat toa 200rate of 50 percent of the federaldifference povertyin guidelinesreimbursement willrates beof providedfree breakfast and lunchpaid, withoutor cost.free and reduced.

 The statelocal level will reimburseneed theto schoolcover districtsthe foradditional any meals, at a rate of 50 percent of the differencemeal in reimbursement ratesfrom ofnon- freefederal andfunds. paid, or free and reduced.

The local level will need to cover the additional 50 percent of the meal reimbursement from non-federal funds.

 The Department would be required to adopt rules requiring districts to offer online and paper free and reduced meals applications.applications if the school board has adopted the increase of meal eligibility.

 The Department will be required to provide administrative or technical assistance to school districts in establishing online applications for free or reduced-priced meals to those schools who operate the UnitedIncreased Statesincome Departmenteligibility. of Agriculture (USDA) school meals programs.

 All school districts can offer both paper and online free and reduced priced meal applications, even if they do not participate in a USDA approved school meal program.

 The Department will provide technical assistance to school districts who opt to provide online free and reduced applications if they participate in a USDA approved school meal program.

 The Department will be required to distribute funding to schools that opt into the optional program school districts to purchase software related to establishing an online application for free and reduced-priced meals.

 Approximately 66 public and public charter schools would need to implement a breakfast and/or lunch program.

State Impact UsingUltimately, thethis informationbill’s andimpact assumptionsis above,unknown theas Departmentit estimatescannot reimbursementbe costspredicted couldhow bemany approximatelyschool $6,937,949boards ($2,221,085may +elect $4,487,040to +increase $229,824):eligibility for free meals.

It should also be noted this bill provides no funding for additional state nutrition reimbursements.

Using the information and assumptions above, the Department estimates possible reimbursement costs could be approximately $6,937,949 ($2,221,085 + $4,487,040 + $229,824):

Local School District Impact Using the above assumptions and calculations, theand Departmentgiven statesit this bill’s fiscal impact is indeterminablenot atknown thehow localmany level,school butboards itmay iselect important to highlightraise thereeligibility willfor befree ameals, significantthe amountDepartment ofstates work needing to be done to make the eligibilityfiscal determinationsimpact andof therethis willbill beis costsindeterminable incurred at the local levellevel. to meet the requirements.

The localcost educationwould agenciesbe currentlydetermined haveat hadthe significantschool’s issueslevel withwhich beingwould ableinclude totheir collectunique freestartup andcosts, reducedlabor applicationsstart-up fromcosts, familieslabor andcosts, thiscost willof requiremeal collectingpricing, applicationsprojected fromparticipation, manyactual moreparticipation families/students.and continuous ongoing costs for operation of the programs.