An Act To Address Student Hunger with a "Breakfast after the Bell" Program
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0359
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MOORE, TUELL, BELLOWS, CLAXTON, MILLETT, ROSEN, VITELLI, GRIFFIN, MADIGAN
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6602

Legislative Document
No. 359
S.P. 99
In Senate, January 24, 2019
An Act To Address Student Hunger with a "Breakfast after the 
Bell" Program
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MOORE of Washington.
Cosponsored by Representative TUELL of East Machias and
Senators: BELLOWS of Kennebec, CLAXTON of Androscoggin, MILLETT of Cumberland, 
ROSEN of Hancock, VITELLI of Sagadahoc, Representatives: GRIFFIN of Levant, 
MADIGAN of Waterville.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ¶D is enacted to read:
D.  A school administrative unit with a public school in which at least 50% of 
students qualified for a free or reduced-price lunch during the preceding school year 
shall operate an alternative breakfast delivery service that provides breakfast after the 
start of the school day for students at that public school. A school administrative unit 
may opt out of the alternative breakfast delivery service if the governing board of the 
school administrative unit holds a public hearing regarding the service and votes in 
the affirmative that the service would not be financially or logistically viable.  The 
governing board of the school administrative unit shall post public notice in each 
municipality in the unit of the time and location of the hearing at least 10 days before 
the hearing. The chair of the governing board of the school administrative unit shall 
conduct the hearing.  Within 30 days of the public hearing, the governing board of the 
school administrative unit, by majority vote, may determine that an alternative 
breakfast delivery service is not financially or logistically viable.  The department 
shall adopt rules to implement this paragraph.  Rules adopted pursuant to this 
paragraph are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A.
Sec. 2.  Rulemaking regarding alternative breakfast delivery service.  The 
Department of Education shall adopt rules to develop an application process and to adopt 
standards to address evaluation criteria based on need for the funding of alternative 
breakfast delivery services in school administrative units pursuant to the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6602, subsection 1, paragraph D.  The department shall adopt 
procedures to track health and academic outcomes through evaluation and data collection 
of students and schools that participate in alternative breakfast delivery services.  Rules 
adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 3.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Initiative:  Provides ongoing funding to school administrative units that operate 
alternative breakfast delivery services that provide breakfast after the start of the school 
day.  A school administrative unit with a public school in which at least 50% of students 
qualified for a free or reduced-price lunch during the preceding school year qualifies for 
funding.
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$500,000
$500,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$500,000
$500,000
SUMMARY
This bill requires a school administrative unit with a public school in which at least 
50% of students qualified for a free or reduced-price lunch during the preceding school 
year to operate an alternative breakfast delivery service that provides breakfast after the 
start of the school day for students at that public school.  It also provides a process for a 
school administrative unit to opt out of the alternative breakfast delivery service. This bill 
requires the Department of Education to adopt rules to develop an application process and 
to adopt standards to address evaluation criteria based on need for funding assistance for 
alternative breakfast delivery services in school administrative units. It also requires the 
department to develop a means to track health and academic outcomes of students and 
schools that participate in alternative breakfast delivery services.