State Rep. Donald Wong issued the following news release
BOSTON – State Rep. Donald H. Wong, R-Saugus, recently endorsed a school nutrition bill that extends student access to free meals while eliminating meal shaming policies that punish students who are unable , to pay.
House Bill 3999, a student nutrition bill, was passed in the House of Representatives on October 6 with a unanimous vote of 157-0. The bill, which also passed the Senate, is now on Governor Charlie Baker’s desk for review and signature.
House Bill 3999 requires individual schools and school districts where at least 50 percent of students are considered low-income to participate in the federal program that offers all students a free school breakfast and lunch. Wong pointed out that the bill allows school districts to apply for a waiver if participating in the program results in financial distress.
The bill directs school districts to participate in the national school lunch program to maximize federal revenues while minimizing the debt of students’ families. It also requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to establish protocols to assist school districts in achieving these goals.
According to Wong, House Bill 3999 also requires DESE to provide guidance to school principals in notifying a parent or guardian of a student’s unpaid food debts. School districts have 30 days from the date of notification to determine whether the student is eligible for free or discounted meals. During this time, students cannot be denied access to a school lunch.
Wong said House Bill 3999 offers strong safeguards to ensure that students are not penalized for unable to pay for a school lunch or owe money for a previously served meal. The bill does this by banning schools from:
· Take action that publicly identifies a student who owes money for meals;
Serving a student with unpaid food debt an alternative meal that is not available to all students;
· Refusing a student a meal as a form of discipline or punishment;
Discarding a meal that has already been served because the student is unable to pay for the meal or has an unpaid meal debt;
Banning a student or their siblings from participating in extracurricular activities, field trips or school events due to the student’s unresolved food guilt;
Preventing a student from graduation or blocking the release of grades, official transcripts or certificates from a student solely because of unresolved food debts; or
Require a parent or legal guardian to pay fees or charges for meals previously served to the student in excess of the amounts actually owed.
