House File 363 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 363 BY ISENHART A BILL FOR An Act relating to free school meals for children attending a 1 public or accredited nonpublic primary or secondary school, 2 and establishing a standing appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1110YH (7) 90 dg/jh

H.F. 363 Section 1. Section 267A.1, subsection 2, Code 2023, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . e. Provide for the healthy development of 3 this state’s students by supplying state schools with locally 4 grown and processed, nutritionally adequate meals in accordance 5 with guidelines established by the department of education 6 pursuant to chapter 283A. 7 Sec. 2. Section 267A.3, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 8 2023, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 9 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (8) A representative of an organization 10 with the primary purpose of promoting school nutrition in this 11 state. 12 Sec. 3. Section 267A.3, subsection 2, Code 2023, is amended 13 by adding the following new paragraph: 14 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. The director of the department of 15 education or the director’s designee. 16 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 283A.12 School meal appropriation. 17 1. There is appropriated annually from the general fund of 18 the state to the department of education an amount determined 19 by the department necessary to provide breakfast and lunch to 20 each student of a public school, including a charter school, 21 or of an accredited nonpublic school whose family chooses to 22 receive such meals for the student. 23 2. Moneys appropriated pursuant to this section shall 24 be sufficient to procure food grown and processed in this 25 state, or food grown and processed within thirty miles of this 26 state for schools and accredited nonpublic schools in a county 27 bordering another state, for the purpose of achieving goals of 28 the local food and farm program established in section 267A.1. 29 3. Moneys appropriated pursuant to this section supplement 30 funds appropriated under the federal National School Lunch Act 31 and the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751 32 — 1785. 33 4. Any funds appropriated under this section that have not 34 been used or encumbered by June 30 of each year shall revert 35 -1- LSB 1110YH (7) 90 dg/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 363 back to the general fund of the state pursuant to section 8.33. 1 EXPLANATION 2 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 4 This bill relates to free school meals to children attending 5 a public or accredited nonpublic primary or secondary school, 6 and establishes a standing appropriation. 7 The bill adds providing for the healthy development of 8 Iowa’s students by supplying state schools with locally grown 9 and processed, nutritionally adequate meals in accordance with 10 guidelines established by the department of education (DE) as a 11 goal of the local food and farm program. 12 The bill adds the director of the DE or the director’s 13 designee as a voting member of the local food and farm 14 program council. The bill also adds a representative of an 15 organization with the primary purpose of promoting school 16 nutrition in Iowa as a voting member of the local food and farm 17 program council that the secretary of agriculture will appoint. 18 Code chapter 283A (school meal programs) governs the 19 administration of school meal programs and the allocation of 20 moneys received for school meals. Under Code chapter 283A, the 21 director of the DE may enter into agreements with any agency 22 of the federal government, with any school board, or with any 23 other agency or person, adopt rules, employ personnel, and take 24 other action as the director may deem necessary to provide 25 for the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion 26 of any school breakfast or lunch program, and to direct the 27 disbursement of federal and state funds, in accordance with any 28 applicable provisions of federal or state law. Code chapter 29 283A also allows the authorities of a nonpublic school to opt 30 out of school breakfast and lunch programs. 31 The bill establishes a standing appropriation in an amount 32 determined by the DE by rule to supplement federal funds to 33 allow free school breakfast and lunch to each student of a 34 public school, including a charter school, or accredited 35 -2- LSB 1110YH (7) 90 dg/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 363 nonpublic school whose family chooses to receive such meals for 1 the student. Moneys appropriated must be sufficient to procure 2 food grown and processed in Iowa, or grown and processed 3 within 30 miles of Iowa for schools and accredited nonpublic 4 schools in a county bordering another state, for the purpose 5 of achieving goals of the local food and farm program. Any 6 such funds appropriated for this purpose that are not used or 7 encumbered by June 30 of each year shall revert back to the 8 general fund of the state. 9 -3- LSB 1110YH (7) 90 dg/jh 3/ 3