Schools would offer free breakfasts and lunches if enacted

Public school districts and public schools would provide one breakfast and one lunch each school day when an enrolled student asks for them. The required service covers enrolled students in North Dakota public school districts and public schools. Nonpublic, tribal, public charter, and Bureau of Indian Education schools may provide the meals instead of being required to do so. Students and their parents or guardians would not pay for the meals. A school or district would need to take part in applicable child nutrition and food distribution programs and encourage families to apply for free or reduced-price meals to receive state reimbursement. The provision would take effect July 1, 2026, if enacted. The bill does not state an end date for the meal service.

The state would create a school meals fund, transfer $65 million into it, and make up to $65 million available for school meals. The money would support free school breakfasts and lunches for students and their parents or guardians through the superintendent of public instruction. The transfer would come from the strategic investment and improvements fund. The appropriation would use money in the school meals fund that has not already been appropriated. State reimbursement would cover the gap between applicable federal meal reimbursement rates and the federal reimbursement actually received. The transfer would occur from the Act's effective date through June 30, 2027. The appropriation would cover the biennium from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, if enacted.