Bill Text: NJ A3260 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Directs Department of Agriculture in consultation with DOE, to establish Internet-based school meals application.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-09-23 - Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading [A3260 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3260-Amended.html
ASSEMBLY, No. 3260
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK
District 18 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Conaway
SYNOPSIS
Directs Department of Agriculture, in consultation with DOE, to establish Internet-based school meals application.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Education Committee on May 6, 2024, with amendments.
An Act concerning online applications for 1[the National School Lunch Program and school breakfast] school meals1 programs, amending P.L.2003, c.4, and supplementing 1chapter 33 of1 Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1[1. Section 3 of P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-11) is amended to read as follows:
3. In implementing a school breakfast program under [this act] P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-9 et seq.), a school district shall:
a. publicize the availability of the school breakfast program to parents and students;
b. make every effort to make available the Internet-based application developed by the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education for school meal applications pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the legislature as this bill);
c. make every effort to ensure that income-eligible students are not recognized as program participants by the student body, faculty, or staff in a manner distinct from student participants who are not income-eligible. Such efforts shall include, but not be limited to, the establishment of a meal plan or voucher system under which students receiving subsidized breakfasts are not distinguished from students receiving non-subsidized breakfasts; and
[c.] d. make every effort to encourage students who are not income-eligible to participate in the program.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.4, s.3)]1
11. Section 3 of P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-11) is amended to read as follows:
3. In implementing a school lunch program, pursuant to P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4 et seq.), a school breakfast program, pursuant to P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-9 et seq.) or section 6 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-10.1), or a breakfast after the bell program, pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2014, c.66 (C.18A:33-11.1) or section 2 of P.L.2018, c.25 (C.18A:33-11.3), each school and school district shall:
a. publicize, to parents and students, the availability of the respective school meals program, as well as the various ways in which a student may qualify to receive subsidized school meals under the program, as provided by subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4) and subsection a. of section 12 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-14a);
b. make every effort to ensure that students receiving subsidized school meals are not identified, by the student body, faculty, or staff, in a manner that is distinct from the manner in which students receiving unsubsidized school meals are identified as program participants. Such efforts shall include, but need not be limited to, the establishment of a neutral meal plan or voucher system that does not make a distinction between these two groups of students; [and]
c. to the greatest extent practicable:
(1) facilitate and expedite the prompt and accurate identification of categorically eligible students who may be certified to receive subsidized school meals without first submitting an application therefor, and, whenever an application is required to establish income eligibility for subsidized meals, encourage students and their families to submit a subsidized school meals application for that purpose;
(2) facilitate and expedite the subsidized school meals application and income eligibility determination processes that are used, by the school or school district, to certify a student for subsidized school meals on the basis of income, and assist parents and guardians in completing the subsidized school meals application; and
(3) encourage students who are neither categorically eligible nor income-eligible for subsidized school lunch or subsidized school breakfast to nonetheless participate in the school lunch program or school breakfast program, or both, as appropriate, on a paid and unsubsidized basis; and
d. make every effort to make available the Internet-based school meals application developed by the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).1
(cf: P.L.2023, c.336, s.3)
2. (New section) a. The Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall develop and make available 1an Internet-based school meals application1 to each school district and 1[nonprofit]1 nonpublic school participating in 1[the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program, an Internet-based school meal application] a school lunch program, pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4), or a school breakfast program, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-10). The school meals application developed pursuant to this section shall be an Internet-based application that is designed to facilitate the subsidized school meals determinations required by P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4 et seq.) and the "Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act," P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-3.2 et seq.)1.
b. A school district or 1[nonprofit]1 nonpublic school participating in 1[the National School Lunch Program or in] a school lunch program or1 a school breakfast program may implement 1and use1 the Internet-based school 1[meal] meals1 application developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section 1[. If a] for the purpose of determining whether students are income-eligible for subsidized school meals, as provided by P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4 et seq.) and the "Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act," P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-3.2 et seq.), and for the other limited purposes set forth in subsection c. of section 16 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-21b1). Any1 school district or 1[nonprofit]1 nonpublic school 1[implements] that implements and uses1 the Internet-based school 1[meal] meals1 application 1[, it] for the purposes authorized by this section1 shall also continue to 1[make available paper applications for enrollment in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program] provide parents and guardians with hard copies of the subsidized school meals application required by paragraph (2) of subsection a. of section 16 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-21b1)1.
c. If a school district or 1[nonprofit]1 nonpublic school currently provides an Internet-based school 1[meal] meals1 application 1[for enrollment in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program] to facilitate subsidized school meals determinations1, the school district or 1[nonprofit]1 nonpublic school shall have one year from the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this act) to switch to the Internet-based school 1[meal] meals1 application developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
1[d. As used in this section, "school meal application" means an Internet-based application designed for the online enrollment of eligible students in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program.]1
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
