An Act Forbidding Food Shaming, Food Denial and the Use of Food as Discipline Involving Any Child in Maine's Public Schools
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1684
Committee Amendment CA_A_S413 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to S.P. 620, L.D. 1684, Bill, "An Act 
Forbidding Food Shaming, Food Denial and the Use of Food as Discipline Involving Any 
Child in Maine's Public Schools" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act Regarding Meals in Public Schools' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 223, sub-c. 11 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 11 
FOOD RIGHTS 
§6681. Access to food and use of food discipline 
1. Serving of reimbursable meals. A public school that provides meals under the 
National School Lunch Program to students pursuant to subchapter 7 or otherwise 
provides to students meals eligible for reimbursement under a program administered by 
the United States Department of Agriculture shall provide such a meal to a student who 
requests the meal and is otherwise eligible for the meal regardless of the student's ability 
to pay for the school meal or failure in the past to pay for school meals. 
2. Student privacy required. A public school may not openly identify or otherwise 
stigmatize a student who cannot pay for a meal or who has payments due for previous 
meals. 
3. Required communications. A public school's communications about a student's 
meal debts must be made directly to the parent or guardian of the student with no 
involvement of the student. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 620, L.D. 1684 
4. Required collection policy. A school board of a public school that provides 
meals under the National School Lunch Program pursuant to subchapter 7 shall establish 
a policy for collection of debts owed to the school lunch program.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. The amendment changes 
the title and strikes the bill. The amendment: 
1. Requires a public school that provides National School Lunch Program meals to 
students pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, chapter 223, subchapter 7 or 
otherwise provides to students meals eligible for reimbursement under a program 
administered by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide such a meal to a 
student who requests the meal and is otherwise eligible for the meal regardless of the 
student's ability to pay for the meal or failure in the past to pay for meals; 
2. Prohibits a public school from openly identifying or stigmatizing a student who 
cannot pay for a meal or who has payments due for previous meals; 
3. Requires a public school to communicate about a student's meal debts directly to 
the parent or guardian of the student rather than to the student; and 
4. Requires the school board of a public school to establish a policy for collection of 
debts owed to the school lunch program. 
The fiscal note on the amendment identifies a requirement in this amendment as a 
potential significant state mandate. In order to be a mandate pursuant to the Constitution 
of Maine, a provision must require a local unit of government to expand or modify its 
activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenue. The committee 
finds that the provisions identified as a potential mandate do not require a local school 
administrative unit to expand or modify its activities so as to necessitate additional 
expenditures from local revenue. 
The committee has determined that the potential state mandate provision prepared by 
the Office of Fiscal and Program Review is not in fact a mandate for public schools. The 
amendment does not require the public school to pay for the school meal debts, since the 
amendment requires the public school to directly communicate with a parent or guardian 
about the student's meal debts and requires the school board of the public school to 
establish a policy for the collection of debts owed to the school lunch program. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/19/18 ::Wac:. 
LD 1684 
LR2542(02) 
An Act Forbidding Food Shaming, Food Denial and the Use of Food as Discipline Involving Any Child 
in Maine's Public Schools 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ''A.' (S. ~ L/J ~ 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential State Mandate - Unfunded 
State Mandates 
Required Activity 
Unit Affected 
Requires public schools that provide meals to students under the National School 
School 
Lunch Program or under a program administered by the United States Department of 
Agriculture to provide such a meal to students that request the meal regardless of the 
student's ability to pay or failure to pay for school meals in the past. 
Requires a school board of a public school that provides meals under the National 
School 
School Lunch Program to establish a collection policy for debts owed to the school 
lunch program. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Local Cost 
Significant 
statewide 
Moderate 
statewide 
While the cost to local school administrative units to provide meals to certain students may be significant, the required 
collection policy for debts owed to the school lunch program may help mitigate some of the costs over the long-term, 
depending on what policies are put in place. 
LR2542(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1