Relating to school lunch and breakfast programs provided by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to school lunch and breakfast programs provided by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools (schools). For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, the bill requires each school to operate a program under which breakfasts and lunches are served to students in attendance at no charge to the student or the student’s family if the student’s family has a family income that is less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, the bill requires each school to operate such a program if the student’s family has a family income that is less than or equal to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the bill requires each school to operate such a program regardless of the income of the student’s family. The bill appropriates from the general fund of the state to the department of education an amount necessary to make the payments to schools necessary to cover the costs of providing free school lunches and school breakfasts that are not covered by any Act of Congress and appropriated to the state of Iowa for use in connection with school breakfast or lunch programs. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules to administer these provisions. The bill makes conforming changes. The bill takes effect upon enactment.