HB 24-1390

HB 24-1390 is a Colorado bill that aims to improve school meal programs by maximizing federal funding. It requires the state Department of Education to apply for a statewide program that allows schools to provide free meals to all students, which can increase federal financial support. The bill also delays certain food purchasing and wage programs until 2025-26 and sets up an advisory group to help manage costs and ensure long-term sustainability of school meal funding. This bill has been signed into law by the governor and is now effective as of April 29, 2024.

Official Summary

The act requires the department of education (department) to apply to the United States department of agriculture for a statewide community eligibility provision if the department determines participation in a statewide community eligibility provision will maximize federal funding. The act requires the department to annually establish options for, and communicate the options to, school food authorities to maximize federal funding. A school food authority that chooses an option other than those established by the department will not receive healthy school meals for all program (program) funding and must use other eligible funding sources to cover the costs of serving free meals to all students at the schools of the school food authority. The act delays the implementation of the local food purchasing grant, the wage increase or stipend program for school meals food preparation and service employees (wage increase or stipend program), and the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program until the 2025-26 budget year. The act requires the department to create a policy for school food authorities to maximize the collection of household income application forms for the national school lunch program to increase federal funding for the program. School food authorities that choose to participate in the program shall apply the policy to maximize the collection of household income application forms. The act creates the healthy school meals for all program cash fund (cash fund). On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer the balance of the healthy school meals for all program general fund exempt account to the cash fund. The act creates the healthy school meals for all program technical advisory group (advisory group). As soon as practicable, the department shall convene the advisory group. The advisory group shall collaborate with school districts, the office of state planning and budgeting, and a representative from the department of agriculture to: Identify ways to maximize federal reimbursements; Reduce costs of the program; Review cost-savings options, including minimizing food waste; Strengthen the long-term resiliency of the healthy school meals for all cash fund; Create model revenue scenarios; Provide options and recommendations to balance program revenues and expenditures; and Draft a report with legislative and administrative recommendations and submit it to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees; the joint budget committee; the state board of education; and the governor. On January 1, 2024, the local school food purchasing program (purchasing program) and the local school food purchasing technical assistance and education grant program (grant program) repealed. The act recreates the purchasing program and the grant program, and extends the programs through the 2024-25 budget year. The act eliminates the authorization for department expenditures in excess of the appropriated amount to participating school food authorities for the wage increase or stipend program. The act amends appropriations related to the program, the purchasing program, and the grant program in the general appropriations act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year. Senate Bill 23-221, enacted in 2023, appropriated money from the general fund for the program. The act amends this appropriation so that the money for the program is appropriated from the state education fund created in section 17(4) of article IX of the state constitution. APPROVED by Governor April 29, 2024 EFFECTIVE April 29, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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