SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 530

 

with committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  JANUARY 12, 2023

 

     The Senate Education Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 530 with committee amendments.

     As amended, the bill directs, at the beginning of each school year, and upon initial enrollment in the case of a student enrolling during the school year, a school district to require the parent or guardian of each student to either submit an application to apply for the National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program or submit a signed card provided by the school district indicating that the parent or guardian has received the application and information and is not interested in participating in the school lunch and school breakfast programs.  If the school district does not receive an application or a signed card, the school district is required to make at least one attempt to contact the student’s parent or guardian and request that the parent submit either an application or signed card.

     The amended bill also requires that the information and application  distributed to students’ parents and guardians on the school lunch and school breakfast programs by school districts be provided in a hard copy format and include a notice that an application may be submitted at any time during the school year and is required to be submitted annually.  School districts may also provide information in electronic form. 

     The provisions of the amended bill will not apply to schools which participate in the Community Eligibility Provision.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2022-2023 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to incorporate the bill’s provisions within existing State law regarding a school district’s distribution of information on the school lunch and school breakfast programs to students’ parents and guardians.  Specifically, the committee amended the current law to require that the information and application that school districts distribute to students’ parents and guardians on the school lunch and school breakfast programs be provided in a hard copy format and include a notice that an application to apply for the program may be submitted at any time during the school year and is required to be submitted annually.  The committee also removed a provision from the bill requiring school district contact of the parent of a student who is in arrears on school meals account, as this is currently  required by State law.