Missouri HB 2433: Creates new provisions related to serving meals to students

Bill Text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2433
101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE SAULS.
4860H.01I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 167, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to meals for
students.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 167, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 167.203, to read as follows:
167.203. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
2 (1) "Meal application", an application for free or reduced price meals through
3 the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program;
4 (2) "School":
5 (a) A school district;
6 (b) A public school, including a charter school; or
7 (c) A private, religious, or parochial school that participates in the National
8 School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program.
9 2. Regardless of whether a student has money to pay for a meal or owes money
10 for earlier meals, a school:
11 (1) Shall provide a United States Department of Agriculture reimbursable meal,
12 which is available to any other student providing funds to pay for such student's meal,
13 to a student who requests one, unless the student's parent or guardian has specifically
14 provided written permission to the school to withhold a meal; and
15 (2) Shall not require that a student throw away a meal after it has been served
16 because of the student's inability to pay for the meal or because money is owed for
17 earlier meals.
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.

18 3. If a student owes money for five or more meals, a school shall:
19 (1) Determine if the student is categorically eligible for free meals;
20 (2) Make at least two attempts, not including delivery of the meal application or
21 instructions included in a school enrollment packet, to reach the student's parent or
22 guardian and have the parent or guardian fill out a meal application; and
23 (3) Require a principal, assistant principal, counselor, or other professional
24 holding a student services certificate to contact the parent or guardian to offer
25 assistance with a meal application, determine if there are other issues within the
26 household that have caused the student to have insufficient funds to purchase a school
27 meal, and offer any other assistance that is appropriate.
28 4. A school shall not publicly identify or stigmatize a student who cannot pay for
29 a meal or who owes a meal debt.
30 5. A school shall direct communications about a student's meal debt to a parent
31 or guardian. A school shall not direct communications about any student's meal debt to
32 any student. Nothing in this subsection prohibits a school from sending a student home
33 with a letter addressed to the student's parent or guardian.
34 6. A school shall not require a parent or guardian to pay fees or costs from
35 collection agencies hired to collect meal debts.
✔
HB 2433 2