ASSEMBLY, No. 2365

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 7, 2022

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  JOE DANIELSEN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Assemblyman  THOMAS P. GIBLIN

District 34 (Essex and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  SADAF F. JAFFER

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblyman Atkins, Assemblywomen Eulner, Piperno and Assemblyman Wimberly

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Department of Agriculture to engage in public education campaign to educate parents and guardians of students about existing and expanding school meals program options in New Jersey.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

 


An Act concerning the promotion of, and the education of parents and guardians regarding, school meals programs that are operating, or that are subject to expansion, in the State, and amending P.L.2019, c.307.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    Section 1 of P.L.2019, c.307 (C.18A:33-27.1) is amended to read as follows:

     1.    a.  The Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Department of Education, shall:

     (1)   develop and implement a public education campaign to educate parents and guardians in the State about the various school meals programs that are available for students in New Jersey, and the availability of free and reduced price meals, under such programs, for students who satisfy federal or State-level eligibility criteria; and

     (2)   develop promotional [material] materials for the ["School Meal Program"] State’s school meals programs, and provide such promotional materials to every school district [with the "School Meal Program" promotional material, which shall] in the State, for distribution thereby to the parents and guardians of students who are enrolled at schools in the district.  The promotional materials developed pursuant to this paragraph shall include, but need not be limited to, pamphlets, presentation [material] materials, webinars, and sample letters that schools may send to parents and guardians

     b.    The ["School Meal Program"] public education campaign and promotional [material] materials developed under subsection a. of this section shall

     (1)   highlight and promote the nature, purposes, value, and importance of the National School Lunch Program, the federal School Breakfast Program, [and] the federal Summer Food Service Program [,] and other similar summer meals programs, as well as the State’s breakfast after the bell programs, established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2014, c.66 (C.18A:33-11.1) or section 2 of P.L.2018, c.25 (C.18A:33-11.3), the State’s emergency meals distribution program, established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2020, c.6 (C.18A:33-27.2), and any new school meals programs that are implemented in the State after the effective date of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill);

     (2)   emphasize the importance of providing a nutritious meal to all children for their general health and [their] success in school;

     (3)   emphasize and promote the ability of eligible students to obtain free or reduced price meals under the State’s school meals programs, and inform parents and guardians about the various ways in which a student may be determined to be categorically eligible for free meals under these programs, and the federal and State-level income-based criteria that must be satisfied in order for a student to obtain free or reduced price school meals, under these programs, on the basis of annual household income;

     (4)   highlight and describe the application and determination processes that are used, by schools and school districts, to certify students for free or reduced price school meals;

     (5)   highlight and describe the rights that are applicable to students and families in association with a student’s subsidized or unsubsidized receipt of school meals in the State; and

     (6)   inform parents and guardians about the nature and extent of any proposed or implemented expansion of the existing school meals programs in the State, including, but not limited to, the nature and extent of any proposed or implemented expansion of the categories of students who are eligible for free or reduced price school meals under such programs.

(cf: P.L.2019, c.307, s.1)

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     Current law requires the Department of Agriculture (DOA), in consultation with the Department of Education (DOE), to develop pamphlets and other promotional materials for the State’s school meals programs and provide such promotional materials to every school district in the State, for distribution to the parents and guardians of students who are enrolled at schools in the district.  This bill would expand this existing promotional requirement by requiring the DOA, in consultation with the DOE, to additionally develop and implement a formalized, Statewide public education campaign that is designed to educate parents and guardians, throughout the State, about the various school meals program options that are available to students in New Jersey. 

     The bill would additionally clarify that both the DOA’s public education campaign and its promotional materials are to:

     (1)   highlight and promote the nature, purposes, value, and importance of the National School Lunch Program, the federal School Breakfast Program, the federal Summer Food Service Program and other similar summer meals programs, as well as the State’s breakfast after the bell programs, the State’s emergency meals distribution program (established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic), and any new school meals programs that are implemented in the State after the bill’s effective date;

     (2)   emphasize the importance of providing a nutritious meal to all children for their general health and success in school;

     (3)   emphasize the ability of eligible students to obtain free or reduced price meals under the State’s school meals programs, and inform parents and guardians about the various ways in which a student may be determined to be categorically eligible for free meals under these programs, and the federal and State-level income-based criteria that must be satisfied in order for a student to obtain free or reduced price school meals, under these programs, on the basis of annual household income;

     (4)   highlight and describe the application and determination processes that are used, by schools and school districts, to certify students for free or reduced price school meals;

     (5)   highlight and describe the rights that are applicable to students and families in association with a student’s subsidized or unsubsidized receipt of school meals in the State; and

     (6)   inform parents and guardians about the nature and extent of any proposed or implemented expansion of the existing school meals programs in the State, including, but not limited to, the nature and extent of any proposed or implemented expansion of the categories of students who are eligible for free or reduced price school meals under such programs.