Appropriations to Legacy School Food Programs

      Joint Budget Committee. Under current law, the general assembly is required to appropriate an amount to comply with matching requirements under the federal 'Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act'. The bill makes this appropriation optional and allows the amount to be appropriated from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.

     Under current law, the department of education is a designated partner agency for the summer electronic benefits transfer for children program (summer EBT program), created in the department of human services, and is required to administer the summer EBT program. The bill allows money for administration of the summer EBT program to be appropriated from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.

     Under current law, the general assembly is required to appropriate $700,000 to $1.5 million to the start smart nutrition program cash fund (cash fund). The bill makes the appropriation optional, repeals the cash fund, transfers the cash fund balance to the general fund, and allows an appropriation to be made from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.

     Under current law, the general assembly is required to appropriate money for the child nutrition school lunch protection program. The bill makes the appropriation optional and allows an appropriation to be made from the healthy school meals for all program cash fund.

     Under current law, the department of education administers a local school food purchasing program and a local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program (legacy local school food programs) that are distinct from the local school food purchasing program and technical assistance and education grant programs within the 'Healthy School Meals for All Act' (HSMA local school food programs). The bill states that the general assembly may appropriate an amount for the legacy local school food programs if the healthy school meals for all program cash fund does not fully fund the HSMA local school food programs.

     The bill makes and reduces appropriations to the department of education for the affected programs.


(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)