The Senate Education Committee voted to give a favorable report to a bill that would codify longstanding proviso language intended to expand access to free school breakfast and lunch and to prohibit punitive measures against students with unpaid meal accounts.

The bill would require districts that qualify for the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to adopt a resolution stating how they participate, and would require districts unable to participate because of financial hardship to adopt a resolution explaining that hardship. It would also require districts to provide parents and guardians with applications and instructions for free and reduced‑price meals.

In addition, the bill lists specific practices districts and schools may not use to identify or penalize students who cannot pay for meals; the committee discussed examples such as confiscating or discarding meals, withholding graduation privileges, or otherwise publicly identifying pupils because of meal debt. A staff member said the listed examples reflect problems that occurred previously in some districts.

Committee members noted the expansion of eligibility in recent years because of the state’s ability to cross‑reference Medicaid eligibility lists, and staff offered an amendment that would suspend these requirements if CEP were suspended or discontinued at the federal level. The committee unanimously adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably to the full Senate.

Supporters described the bill as a codification of an existing, federally funded approach and said it would protect students from public shaming related to meal debt.