MN SF3241

School districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and national school lunch program participants receiving state funding may not physically segregate, discriminate against, or stigmatize children eligible for free or reduced price meals.

Schools are prohibited from making overt or distinguishable identification of eligible children through special lines, tickets, alternative meals, published name lists, or any other publicly identifiable means.

Schools may not deny lunch to children eligible for reduced price lunch who lack sufficient funds or have unpaid lunch debts.

No entity may take action against children in households with unpaid lunch debts, including withholding educational opportunities or engaging in prohibited discriminatory behavior.

Schools are prohibited from using collection agencies to collect unpaid lunch debts from households and must comply with fair debt collection practices under Minnesota Statutes section 332.37; both provisions effective July 1, 2010.