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REFERENCE TITLE: pupils; unpaid school meal fees |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-sixth Legislature First Regular Session 2023
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HB 2353 |
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Introduced by Representatives Contreras P: Aguilar, Austin, Bravo, Cano, Gress, Gutierrez, Ortiz, Sandoval, Schwiebert, Seaman, Stahl Hamilton, Sun, Terech, Travers
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An Act
amending title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-116.01; relating to school meals.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-116.01, to read:
15-116.01. School meals; unpaid fees; school meal fee debt fund
A. A public school shall ensure that a pupil whose parent or guardian has not paid the pupil's school meal fees is not shamed, treated differently or served a meal that differs from what a pupil who does not have unpaid school meal fees receives under that public school's policy. This subsection does not prohibit a school from serving an alternative meal to a pupil who requires a special meal for a dietary or religious reason.
B. School personnel and volunteers at a public school that serves meals that meet the nutrition standards prescribed in section 15-242 to pupils during the instructional day may not take disciplinary action against a pupil that results in the denial or delay of a meal that meets the nutrition standards prescribed in section 15-242.
C. A public school may not require a pupil who cannot pay for a meal or who owes unpaid school meal fees to perform chores or other work to pay for meals.
D. A public school shall notify a pupil's parent or guardian regarding the pupil's outstanding school meal account balance within ten days after the pupil's meal account reaches a negative balance. Before sending this notification to the parent or guardian, the public school shall exhaust all options and methods to directly certify the pupil for free or reduced-price meals. If the public school is not able to directly certify the pupil, the public school shall:
1. Provide the parent or guardian with a paper copy of or an electronic link to an application for free or reduced-price meals along with notification of the pupil's outstanding school meal account balance.
2. Subsequently contact the parent or guardian to encourage the parent or guardian to submit the application for free or reduced-price meals.
E. A public school may attempt to collect unpaid school meal fees from a parent or guardian but may not use a debt collector, as defined in the Consumer Credit Protection Act (P.L. 90-321; 82 Stat. 146; 15 United States Code Section 1692a), for this purpose.
F. This section does not allow for the indefinite accrual of a pupil's unpaid school meal fees.
G. A school district governing board or a charter school governing body may establish a school meal fee debt fund consisting of donations or gifts to be used to pay pupils' unpaid school meal fees.