MN HF55

Requires each Minnesota school participating in the national school lunch program to adopt and post a written school meal policy in multiple languages that prohibits lunch shaming and maintains student dignity.

Establishes state lunch aid payments of 12.5 cents per full paid and free student lunch and 52.5 cents per reduced-price lunch served to students.

Prohibits schools from withdrawing meals already served to students, denying meals to eligible free and reduced-price lunch students due to debt, or restricting student activities, graduation, or field trips due to unpaid meal balances.

Requires schools to use only trained staff to communicate about unpaid meal debt, direct all such communication to parents or guardians rather than students, and prohibit use of collection agencies without addressing it in the meal policy.

Effective July 1, 2020, any new or modified contracts with third-party meal service providers must ensure adherence to the school's meal policy.