House File 2467 - Reprinted HOUSE FILE 2467 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 660) (As Amended and Passed by the House March 8, 2018 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to school meal debt and to school meal programs 1 offered by school districts and accredited nonpublic 2 schools, authorizing the establishment of unpaid student 3 meals accounts, and authorizing the transfer and expenditure 4 of certain funds. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 HF 2467 (3) 87 kh/jh/md

H.F. 2467 Section 1. Section 8A.504, subsection 2, Code 2018, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . l. If the alleged liability is owing and 3 payable to a school district for school meal debt, the school 4 district has made reasonable efforts to collect the debt for 5 at least two years, and the amount of the debt owed by a person 6 to the school district is five hundred dollars or more, setoff 7 pursuant to this section may be sought by the school district. 8 However, this paragraph shall not be interpreted to limit any 9 other options for school meal debt collection available to the 10 school district by law. 11 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 283A.11 Participation by students —— 12 school prohibitions and responsibilities. 13 1. For purposes of this section, unless the context 14 otherwise requires, “school” includes a school district, a 15 school district attendance center, or an accredited nonpublic 16 school. 17 2. A school shall provide notice, at least twice annually, 18 to the parents or guardians of all enrolled students regarding 19 the availability of applications for free or reduced-fee meals 20 for categorically eligible students under the federal National 21 School Lunch Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751 et seq., and the 22 federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1771 et seq. 23 Notice may be provided via letter or electronic communication. 24 3. If a student owes money for five or more meals, a school 25 principal, assistant principal, or designated meal program 26 staff person may contact the student’s parent or guardian to 27 provide information regarding the application for free or 28 reduced-fee meals pursuant to the federal National School Lunch 29 Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1751 et seq., and the federal Child 30 Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §1771 et seq., or to provide 31 information on other options or assistance available. 32 4. A school is encouraged to provide a reimbursable meal, as 33 specified under regulations promulgated by the United States 34 department of agriculture pursuant to the federal Healthy, 35 -1- HF 2467 (3) 87 kh/jh/md 1/ 3

H.F. 2467 Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-296, to a student 1 who requests a reimbursable meal unless the student’s parent 2 or guardian has specifically provided written direction to the 3 school to withhold a meal from the student. 4 5. If practicable, a school shall position the point of 5 service at the beginning of a lunch line to provide options 6 other than meal disposal or replacement. 7 6. a. A school is prohibited from posting a list of 8 students who owe money for school meals and from engaging in 9 any of the following acts directed toward a student because the 10 student cannot pay for a meal or owes a meal debt: 11 (1) Publicly identifying or stigmatizing the student, 12 including but not limited to requiring the student to consume 13 the meal at a table set aside for such purpose or to discard a 14 meal after the meal has been served. 15 (2) Requiring the student to wear a wristband, hand stamp, 16 or identification marks, or to do chores or other work to pay 17 for meals. 18 (3) Denying participation in an afterschool program or 19 other extracurricular activity to the student. 20 (4) Providing an alternative meal that is only offered to 21 a student who has accrued meal debt. A school that offers the 22 option of an alternative meal shall present the meal in the 23 same manner to any student requesting an alternative meal so as 24 not to identify a student as having accrued meal debt. 25 b. A school shall direct communications about a student’s 26 meal debt to a parent or guardian and may discreetly provide 27 information about the student’s meal account to the student as 28 long as the communication with the student does not violate 29 paragraph “a” . This paragraph does not prohibit a school from 30 sending a letter home with a student addressed to the student’s 31 parent or guardian, or from contacting the parent or guardian 32 via phone or other electronic means. 33 7. The department of education shall, in consultation with 34 schools, develop and establish best practices, guidance, and 35 -2- HF 2467 (3) 87 kh/jh/md 2/ 3

H.F. 2467 policies to assist schools to reach the goal of ensuring that 1 all students have access, at a minimum, to reimbursable meals, 2 in accordance with subsection 4. 3 8. A school district may establish an unpaid student meals 4 account in a school nutrition fund established by the school 5 district under section 298A.11 and may deposit in the account 6 moneys received from private sources for purposes of paying 7 student meal debt accrued by individual students as well as 8 amounts designated for the account from the school district’s 9 flexibility account under section 298A.2, subsection 2. Moneys 10 deposited in the unpaid student meals fund shall be used by the 11 school district only to pay individual student meal debt. The 12 school district shall set fair and equitable procedures for 13 such expenditures. 14 Sec. 3. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 15 2018, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 16 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (06) For deposit in the unpaid student 17 meals account to be used for purposes of paying student meal 18 debt accrued by individual students in accordance with section 19 283A.11, subsection 8. 20 -3- HF 2467 (3) 87 kh/jh/md 3/ 3