HB 2610 — Creating the hunger-free students' bill of rights act.

H-4651.1SUBSTITUTEH-2966.1HOUSE HOUSE BILL 2610State of Washington65th Legislature2018 Regular SessionBy House Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Peterson, Bergquist, Pollet, Gregerson, Appleton, Valdez, Ryu, Jinkins, Macri, Tarleton, Hudgins, McBride, Doglio, Stonier, Fey, Goodman, Santos, Frame, and Stanford)READStanfordRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/06/18.AN01/11/18. ACT Relating to a hunger-free students' bill of rights;

Referred to Committee on Education.AN ACT Relating to a hunger-free students' bill of rights;

adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW;

245.6(d), complete and submit the application for the student.(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to a school that provides free meals to all students in a year in which the school does not collect applications to determine student eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.235 RCW to read as follows:(1)follows:Local Local liaisons for homeless children and youths designated by districts in accordance with the federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act 42 U.S.C.

must improve systems to identify homeless students and coordinate with the applicable school nutrition program to ensure that each homeless student has proper access to free school meals and that applicable accountability and reporting requirements are satisfied.(2)satisfied.NEW Schools and school districts shall improve systems to identify students in foster care, runaway students, and migrant students to ensure that each student has proper access to free school meals and that applicable accountability and reporting requirements are satisfied.(3) At least monthly, schools and school districts shall directly certify students for free school meals if the students qualify because of enrollment in assistance programs, including but not limited to the supplemental nutrition assistance program, the temporary assistance for needy families, and medicaid.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.235 RCW to read as follows:Iffollows:(1)(a) aUnless studentrequested hasotherwise notin paidwriting forby fivethe orstudent's moreparent previousor meals,guardian, theall schoolschools shall:(1)shall Determineprovide whethera themeal studentthat isqualifies categorically eligible for freefederal meals;(2)reimbursement Ifas noeither applicationa hasfree beenor submittedreduced-price forlunch under the studentnational toschool determinelunch hisprogram, or hera eligibility for free or reduced-price meals,breakfast makeunder no fewer than two attempts to contact the student'sschool parentbreakfast orprogram, guardian to haveeach himstudent orrequesting hera submitmeal. an application;

and(3)The Haveprovision of the meal may not be conditioned on the student's ability to pay for the meal or for any amount owed for meals previously served to the student.(b) No school may require a principal,student assistantto principal,dispose of or otherwise surrender a served meal because of the student's inability to pay for the meal or meals previously served to the student.(2) If a student has not paid for five or more previous meals, the school counselorshall:(a) Determine whether the student is categorically eligible for free meals;(b) If no application has been submitted for the student to determine his or her eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, make no fewer than two attempts to contact the student's parent or guardian forto thehave purposehim of:or her submit an application;

(a)and(c) OfferingHave assistancea withprincipal, completingassistant anprincipal, applicationor toschool determinecounselor contact the student'sparent eligibilityor guardian for freethe orpurpose reduced-priceof: meals;

(b)(i) determiningOffering whetherassistance therewith arecompleting anyan householdapplication issuesto thatdetermine may prevent the studentstudent's fromeligibility havingfor sufficientfree fundsor forreduced-price school meals;

and(ii) (c)determining offeringwhether anythere appropriateare assistance.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.235 RCW to read as follows:(1) No school or district personnel or school volunteer may:(a) Take any actionhousehold directedissues at a student to collect unpaid school meal fees;(b) Publicly identify or stigmatize, or take any action that wouldmay likelyprevent publicly identify or stigmatize, a student who cannot pay for a school meal or for meals previously served to the student, including but not limited to requiring the student wearfrom ahaving wristband,sufficient handfunds stamp, or other identifying marker, or by serving the student an alternative meal;(c) Require a student who cannot pay for a school mealmeals; or for meals previously served to the student to perform chores or other actions in exchange for a meal or for the reduction or elimination of a school meal debt, unless all students perform similar chores or work;(d) Require a student dispose of a served meal because of the student's inability to pay for the meal or because of money owed for meals previously served to the student;(e) Allow any disciplinary action that is taken against a student to result in the denial or delay of a nutritionally adequate meal to the student;

or(f)and Require(iii) aoffering parentany orappropriate guardianassistance.NEW toSECTION.  Sec. 4.  A paynew feessection oris costsadded fromto collectionchapter agencies28A.235 hiredRCW byto theread as follows:(1) No school or district tomay:(a) collectPublicly amountsidentify owedor stigmatize, or take any action that would likely publicly identify or stigmatize, a student who cannot pay for a school meal or for meals previously served to the student.(2)student;(b) CommunicationsRequire from a schoolstudent orwho districtcannot aboutpay amountsfor oweda school meal or for meals previously served to the student mayto onlyperform bechores directedor toother theactions student'sin parentexchange for a meal or guardian.for the reduction or elimination of a school meal debt;

Nothingor(c) inRequire this subsection prohibits a schoolparent or districtguardian fromto sendingpay afees studentor homecosts withfrom acollection notificationagencies thathired isby addressed to the student'sschool parent or guardian.(3)(a)district Ato schoolcollect districtamounts shallowed notifyfor ameals parentpreviously orserved guardianto of the negativestudent.(2) balanceCommunications offrom a student's school mealor accountdistrict noabout lateramounts thanowed tenfor daysmeals afterpreviously served to the student'sstudent schoolmay mealonly accountbe hasdirected reachedto athe negativestudent's balance.parent or guardian.

BeforeNothing sendingin this notification,subsection theprohibits districta mustschool exhaust all options to directly certify the student for free or reduced-price meals.(b) If the school district isfrom unablesending toa directly certify the student forhome free or reduced-price meals, the school district shall provide the parent or guardian with a paperletter copythat ofis oraddressed an electronic link to ana application for free or reduced-price meals with the notification required by (a) of this subsection (3) and encourage the parent or guardianguardian.NEW toSECTION.  Sec. 5.  This submit the application.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall collect, analyze, and promote to school districts and applicable community-based organizations best practices in local meal charge policies that are required by the United States department of agriculture in memorandum SP 46-2016.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  This act may be known and cited as the hunger-free students' bill of rights act.--- END ---