Connecticut HB 5537: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY WAYS TO FUND A UNIVERSAL FREE SCHOOL MEALS PROGRAM.

Bill Text

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General Assembly  
Substitute Bill No. 5537  
February Session, 2026 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY WAYS TO 
FUND A UNIVERSAL FREE SCHOOL MEALS PROGRAM.  
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section  1.  (Effective  from  passage)  (a)  There  is  established  a  working 1 
group to study ways to fund a universal free school meals program that 2 
would assist public schools to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all 3 
public  school  students.  The  study  shall  examine  (1)  the  amount  of 4 
funding projected to be required for such program, (2) possible sources 5 
for funding, including, but not limited to, the imposition of a dedicated 6 
tax or fee, (3) the parameters for the establishment of such program and 7 
for  disbursement  of  funds,  and  (4)  any  other  matters  relevant  to  the 8 
establishment or funding of such program. 9 
(b) The working group shall consist of (1) the chairpersons of the joint 10 
standing  committees  of  the  General  Assembly  having  cognizance  of 11 
matters  relating  to  finance,  revenue  and  bonding,  education,  children 12 
and  public  health,  (2)  representatives  of  public  schools  and  local  or 13 
regional boards of education, (3) public health or nutrition experts, and 14 
(4) any other individuals or entities the chairpersons deem desirable or 15 
necessary  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  this  section.  The  members  set 16 
forth  in  subdivisions  (2)  to  (4),  inclusive,  of  this  subsection  shall  be 17 
appointed  by  the  chairpersons  of  the  joint  standing  committee  of  the 18 
General  Assembly  having  cognizance  of  matters  relating  to  finance, 19 

Substitute Bill No. 5537 
 
 
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revenue and bonding, not later than thirty days after the effective date 20 
of this section. 21 
(c)  The chairpersons  of  the  joint  standing  committee  of  the  General 22 
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to finance, revenue and 23 
bonding shall serve as the chairpersons of the working group and shall 24 
schedule the first meeting of the working group, which shall be held not 25 
later than sixty days after the effective date of this section. 26 
(d)  The  administrative  staff  of  the  joint  standing  committee  of  the 27 
General  Assembly  having  cognizance  of  matters  relating  to  finance, 28 
revenue and bonding shall serve as administrative staff of the working 29 
group. 30 
(e) Not later than January 1, 2027, the working group shall submit a 31 
report on its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly, 32 
in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes. 33 
The  working  group  shall  terminate  on  the  date  that  it  submits  such 34 
report or January 1, 2027, whichever is later. 35 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 
from passage 
New section 
 
FIN Joint Favorable Subst.