It’s been an active week at the state level when it comes to school nutrition legislation. Both Virginia and Minnesota recently had nutrition bills signed into law by their respective governors. Meanwhile, in Maryland, lawmakers approved a bill that would analyze the cost of setting up a universal free school meals program in the state.
Here’s the latest in school nutrition legislation.
Virginia law will set up a farm-to-school task force
Schools in Virginia looking to start or expand a farm-to-school program will be able to receive a little help from the state. A bill that would set up a farm-to-school task force in Virginia has been signed into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Under the new law, the state’s Department of Education will set up the task force, which will be responsible for working with different stakeholders, including local school boards, community-based organizations and farmers, to analyze existing farm-to-school programs in the state and identify best practices for sustaining those programs.
In addition, the task force will also create and distribute resources to help schools establish farm-to-school programs, learn how to apply for farm-to-school grant funding and more.
Minnesota universal free meals program gets more funding
A Minnesota bill that included funding to continue the state’s universal free meals program has been signed into law.
Governor Tim Waltz signed HF 4518, which updatesthe amount of funding for the program to match the state’s updated February 2024 budget forecast.
Minnesota implemented universal free meals at the start of the current school year. The program was more popular than anticipated and ended up costing more than expected.
According to recent state data, over 1 million additional school lunches and breakfast were served each month this past fall compared to fall 2022.
Schools in other states that have introduced universal free meals have also seen meal participation numbers increase.
Maryland lawmakers approve bill to figure out universal free meals costs
A bill that would analyze the cost of setting up a universal free school meals program in Maryland is headed to the governor’s desk.
SB 0579 directs the state’s Department of Education to submit a report to the General Assembly by the end of the year that provides a cost estimate for providing free school breakfast and lunch to all public school students in the state.
The bill originally would have provided free school meals to all students at no cost, however, it was amended as it made its way through the House and Senate.
See which states currently offer universal free meals via the map below: