SB 205-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

25-1106

02/06

SENATE BILL 205-FN

AN ACT requiring schools to offer free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch to children who meet federal income eligibility guidelines.

SPONSORS: Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Rep. Telerski, Hills. 11

COMMITTEE: Education

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ANALYSIS

This bill requires school boards to provide breakfast and lunch to pupils under their jurisdiction.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

25-1106

02/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT requiring schools to offer free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch to children who meet federal income eligibility guidelines.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1  Food and Nutrition Programs.  Amend RSA 189:11-a, I to read as follows:

I. Each school board shall make [at least one meal] lunch available during school hours to every pupil under its jurisdiction, and breakfast shall be made available before or during school hours to every pupil under the school board's jurisdiction, unless the start of school is delayed. Such meals shall be served without cost or at a reduced cost to any child who meets federal income eligibility guidelines. The state board of education shall ensure compliance with this section and shall establish minimum nutritional standards for such meals as well as income guidelines set for the family size used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals. [Nothing in this section shall prohibit the operation of both a breakfast and lunch program in the same school.]

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.

LBA

25-1106

Revised 2/3/25

SB 205-FN FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT requiring schools to offer free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch to children who meet federal income eligibility guidelines.

FISCAL IMPACT:   This bill does not provide funding.

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires all schools, regardless of participation in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch (NSLP) or School Breakfast Programs (SBP), to provide breakfast and lunch during school to every pupil under its jurisdiction. The Department of Education has provided the following assumptions and information relative to this bill:

• School enrollment used for estimates is from October 2024 (K-12)
• Any school not operating the SBP is not serving breakfast under the USDA Program
• Number of schools in NH operating NSLP = 449
• Number of schools in NH operating NSLP but not operating SBP = 28
• Number of public charter schools not operating SBP or NSLP = 38
  • It is unknown the number of public charter school above who currently provide breakfast or lunch to their students
• Approximately 66 public and public charter schools would need to implement a breakfast and/or lunch program
• The state currently pays reimbursement for each breakfast meal served under the federal program at a rate of $0.03 per each free and paid meal and $0.30 per reduced priced meal
• There is no state reimbursement for lunch
• All lunch meals served under the federal program in New Hampshire in school year 2023-2024 will equal the number of meals served in the breakfast program
• Total Number of Free Eligible Students = 31,632
• Total Number of Reduced Eligible Students = 6,384
• Total Number of Paid Eligible Students = 124,644
• The number of school days = 180

State Impact

The Department of Education estimates, using the above assumptions and data, that this bill could increase state general fund expenditures by between $207,003 and $1,188,627, per year:

Minimum:

• The state currently pays reimbursement for each breakfast meal served under the federal program at a rate of $0.03 per each free and paid meal and $0.30 per reduced priced meal.
• Calculations based on meals served for School Year (SY) 2023-2024) = 4,028,481
• Total Number of Free Breakfast Meals Served: (1,708,408 * $0.03) = $51,252
• Total Number of Reduced Breakfast Meals Served: (319,070 * $0.30) = $95,721
• Total Number of Paid Breakfast Meals Served: (2,001,003 * $0.03) = $ 60,030
• Total = $207,003

Maximum:

• The state currently pays reimbursement for each breakfast meal served under the federal program at a rate of $0.03 per each free and paid meal and $0.30 per reduced priced meal.
• Calculations based on SY 2024-2025 total enrolled students = 162,660
• Total Number of Free Eligible Students: (31,632 * $0.03) * 180 = $170,813
• Total Number of Reduced Eligible Students: (6,384 * $0.30) * 180 = $344,736
• Total Number of Paid Eligible Students: (124,644 * $0.03) * 180 = $673,078
• To provide funding for the breakfast reimbursement that the state is currently responsible for would be approximately $1,188,627 per year in total after all federal reimbursement.

Local School District Impact

In addition to the potential revenue increase from state reimbursements discussed above, the Department of Education states this bill’s impact on local school district expenditures is indeterminable. Costs would relate to startup costs, labor costs, cost of meal pricing, projected participation, actual participation and continuous ongoing costs for operation of the programs. Costs would vary from district to district.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department Education