New HampshireSchool boards would have served free meals to qualifying children
New Hampshire school boards would have offered at least one free meal to children in households earning up to 300% of federal poverty guidelines.
What it does
Each school board would have made at least one free meal available during school hours to children whose household income was at or below 300% of federal poverty guidelines.
The state would have used education trust fund money to pay school districts for meals under the proposal, with the amount needed set aside for that purpose.
Argument forA free meal could have lowered food costs for families whose income met the proposed limit.
Argument againstPaying for the meals could have cost the state tens of millions of dollars a year from its education trust fund.
More detail
Each school board would have offered at least one free meal during school hours. It would have covered children under the board's care whose annual household income was at or below 300% of federal poverty guidelines, adjusted for family size. The proposal set July 1, 2025, as the start date for this meal rule.
The state education department would have paid school districts from the education trust fund. The payments would have covered costs of the proposed school meals program. The proposal set aside the amount needed from that fund for the payments. The proposal set July 1, 2025, as the start date for these payments.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jan 7Inexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 189-158 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 120Latest
- Vote recorded ITL. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 7Inexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 189-158 01/07/2026 HJ 1 P. 120Latest
- 2025
- Nov 20Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass
- Nov 20Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 11/13/2025 (Vote 10-8; RC) HC 51 P. 26Minor
- Oct 28Executive Session: 11/13/2025 02:00 pm GP 232
- Oct 28Full Committee Work Session: 11/13/2025 01:00 pm GP 232
- Oct 15==RESCHEDULED== Executive Session: 11/04/2025 02:00 pm GP 232
- Oct 13==RESCHEDULED== Full Committee Work Session: 11/04/2025 01:00 pm GP 232
- Feb 25Retained in Committee
- Feb 12Executive Session: 02/18/2025 10:30 am LOB 205-207
- Feb 5Full Committee Work Session: 02/11/2025 12:45 pm LOB 205-207
- Jan 29Public Hearing: 02/07/2025 01:45 pm LOB 205-207
- Jan 21Introduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Education Funding HJ 3 P. 22Introduced
EducationTaxes & Budget