S.B. No. 172 Summary

• Establishes the Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Act requiring schools participating in federal lunch or breakfast programs to provide free printed meal applications or electronic application instructions in understandable languages to prospective and enrolled students.

• Requires schools to automatically complete and file meal applications for students identified as eligible for free or reduced price meals if no application has been submitted.

• Mandates schools provide reimbursable meals to any student who requests one regardless of ability to pay or existing meal debt, and prohibits discarding served meals due to non-payment or debt.

• Prohibits schools from publicly stigmatizing students with meal debt through wristbands, hand stamps, or requiring them to do chores to pay for meals; requires meal debt communications to be directed to parents or guardians only.

• Requires schools to contact parents when students owe five or more meals and have a principal, assistant principal, or counselor offer assistance with applications and determine if other household issues exist; prohibits charging collection agency fees to parents.