Florida Senate - 2026                                    SB 1674
       
       
        
       By Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       
       16-01513-26                                           20261674__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to K-12 school lunches and breakfasts;
    3         amending s. 1001.42, F.S.; requiring K-12 public
    4         schools to participate in the National School Lunch
    5         Program and the School Breakfast Program; providing
    6         requirements for the provision of school lunches and
    7         breakfasts at such schools; authorizing school
    8         districts to collect payment for specified meals;
    9         prohibiting school districts from using third-party
   10         debt collectors; providing for the reimbursement of
   11         school breakfasts by the Department of Agriculture and
   12         Consumer Services; providing a calculation for such
   13         reimbursement; authorizing the Department of
   14         Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt rules;
   15         providing an effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Subsection (16) of section 1001.42, Florida
   20  Statutes, is amended to read:
   21         1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board.—The
   22  district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all
   23  powers and perform all duties listed below:
   24         (16) SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.—
   25         (a) Assume such responsibilities and exercise such powers
   26  and perform such duties as may be assigned to it by law or as
   27  may be required by rules of the Department of Agriculture and
   28  Consumer Services or, as in the opinion of the district school
   29  board, are necessary to ensure school lunch services, consistent
   30  with needs of students; effective and efficient operation of the
   31  program; and the proper articulation of the school lunch program
   32  with other phases of education in the district.
   33         (b) Each school district shall require each school within
   34  the district to participate in the National School Lunch Program
   35  and the School Breakfast Program. Each school shall make:
   36         1. Lunch available pursuant to the National School Lunch
   37  Program, regardless of whether a student has the money to pay
   38  for the lunch or owes money for meals previously provided. A
   39  school district may collect payment for meals provided pursuant
   40  to this paragraph. However, a school district may not use a
   41  third-party debt collector to collect such debt.
   42         2. Breakfast available pursuant to the National School
   43  Breakfast Program at no cost to the student unless the student’s
   44  parent has provided written notification to the school to
   45  withhold such meal from the student. The Department of
   46  Agriculture and Consumer Services shall reimburse each school
   47  district for each school breakfast served to a student, with a
   48  maximum of one breakfast per student per school day. The
   49  reimbursement rate shall be the difference between the amount
   50  paid by the United States Department of Agriculture and the free
   51  rate set annually by the United States Secretary of Agriculture
   52  for each school.
   53         (c) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may
   54  adopt rules to administer this subsection.
   55         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.