H.B. 540 Summary

• Requires the Department of Education and public charter schools to provide one free breakfast and one free lunch daily to all requesting students beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, regardless of federal program eligibility.

• Free breakfast must meet federal requirements under 7 CFR 220.8 and free lunch must meet requirements under 7 CFR 210.10.

• Prohibits denying meals to students for failure to pay within seven days after a student's meal account reaches zero or negative balance.

• Allows the Department of Education and charter school commissions to adopt rules for collecting negative meal account balances, provided such rules do not prohibit providing required meals.

• Appropriates unspecified funds for fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 to cover total plate costs for universal free breakfasts and lunches after federal funding is accounted for; effective June 30, 3000.