HB22-1414 Summary

• Creates the Healthy School Meals for All Program requiring participating school food authorities to provide free eligible meals to all public school students without charge, beginning in the 2023-24 budget year.

• Funds the program through a state income tax increase on taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income of $300,000 or more by capping itemized or standard deductions at $12,000 (single filers) or $16,000 (joint filers), estimated to generate $100.7 million annually.

• Establishes local food purchasing grants of at least $5,000 per school authority to purchase Colorado-grown, raised, or processed products, with advisory committees including students and parents to ensure culturally relevant and healthy meals.

• Provides supplemental funding for school food service employee wage increases or stipends and creates a technical assistance grant program administered by a nonprofit organization to support local food systems and farm-to-school initiatives.

• Requires biennial reporting and independent audits of program implementation, with continuation conditional on Colorado's participation in the federal Medicaid direct certification demonstration project.