An Act To Address Student Hunger through Expanding Access to Free School Meals
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1679
Committee Amendment CA_A_SA_A_S623 (Senate)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6601-A

SENATE AMENDMENT" /1- "to CO:MMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 540, 
L.D. 1679, "An Act To Address Student Hunger through Expanding Access to Free School 
Meals" 
Amend the amendment by inserting after the title the following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act Regarding Expanding Access to Free School Meals'' 
Amend the amendment by striking out everything after the title and inserting the 
following: 
'Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and insetting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6601-A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 212, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
§6601-A. 
Free or reduced-price school meals; Internet-based school meal 
applications 
The department shall contract for the development and implementation of an Intemet-
based application for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch 
Program under 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 210 and the School Breakfast Program 
under 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 220. The department shall make available to 
public schools the futemet-based application for free or reduced-price meals developed 
under this section on the department's publicly accessible website. The department shall 
make the Internet-based application in an understandable and uniform format and, to the 
maximum extent practicable, in a language that parents and legal guardians can understand. 
A public school may make the futernet-based application available for school meal 
applications on the public school's publicly accessible website. All public schools shall 
continue to distribute paper applications for school meals to all students. A public school 
is solely responsible for processing that school's online applications. Data submitted 
through the futernet-based application may not be visible to the department and must be 
transmitted directly to the applicable public school. All public schools shall accept data 
submitted through the futemet-based application. 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE AMENDMENT" ft "to COMMITTEEAMENDMENT"A" to S.P. 540, L.D. 1679 ($-l_a z3) 
Sec. 2. Department of Education to study free and reduced-price meals for 
publicly funded students at private schools approved for tuition purposes. The 
Department of Education shall conduct an analysis to determine the cost for the State to 
provide funding equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement for free and 
reduced-price breakfast and lunch under the national school breakfast and lunch programs 
in accordance with 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 210 and 220 (2007) for each 
publicly funded student who: 
1. Attends a private school approved for tuition purposes that enrolls 60% or more 
publicly funded students; and 
2. Is ineligible for a free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch. 
The Department of Education shall submit a report with its findings to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters no later 
than February 1, 2023. The joint standing committee having jurisdiction over education 
matters may submit legislation based on the report to the 131 st Legislature in 2023,' ' 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes the provisions of Committee Amendment "A." The 
amendment requires that public schools accept data submitted through an Internet-based 
application for free or reduced-priced meals under the National School Lunch Program and 
the School Breakfast Program. 
The amendment also requires the Department of Education to investigate the cost of 
providing free and reduced-priced meals for publicly funded students at certain private 
schools approved for tuition purposes who are otherwise ineligible to receive free and 
reduced-price meals and report back to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction ovifducati n matte 
later than February 1, 2023. 
SPONSORED BY: u=------+--1--''---------
(Senator BREEN, C.) 
COUNTY: Cumberland 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
( 
Approved: 04/21/22 ~ae 
LD 1679 
LR 1396(04) 
An Act To Address Student Hunger through Expanding Access to Free School Meals 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment 'ir-" to Committee Amendment "A" {~~Z.3) 
Sponsor: Sen. Breen of Cumberland 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2021-22 
FY 2022-23 
Projections 
FY 2023-24 
Projections 
FY 2024-25 
$0 
($34,021,267) 
($34,021,267) 
($34,021,267) 
$0 
($34,021,267) 
($34,021,267) 
($34,021,267) 
This amendment strikes certain language in the bill and eliminates the ongoing General Fund appropriations of 
$34,021,267 per year beginning in fiscal year 2022-23. 
This amendment requires the Department of Education to investigate the cost of providing free and reduced priced 
meals for publicly-funded students at town academies who are otherwise ineligible to receive free and reduced-price 
meals and report back to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than February 1, 
2023. It also requires public schools to accept data submitted through an Internet-based application for free or reduced-
price meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast program. 
As amended, the additional costs to the Department of Education and to local school administrative units to 
implement the requirements of this legislation can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR1396(04) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1