MN SF132

Each Minnesota participant in the national school lunch program must adopt and post a written school meal policy to its website in multiple languages that prohibits lunch shaming and maintains student dignity.

School meal policies must address collection agency use, require trained staff to handle debt communications, and mandate all debt-related communication be sent only to parents or guardians, not directly to students.

Schools must serve meals to students once placed on a tray and cannot withdraw them due to outstanding debt; students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch must always receive reimbursable meals regardless of debt.

The state must pay 12.5 cents per full paid and free student lunch and 52.5 cents per reduced-price lunch served to schools participating in the national school lunch program.

Schools cannot restrict student participation in school activities, graduation ceremonies, field trips, athletics, clubs, or access to materials due to unpaid meal debt, and reminders for payment cannot demean, stigmatize, or humiliate students.