An Act to Addt·ess
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0577
Committee Amendment CA_A_S380 (Senate)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6602, 20-A MRSA §6602-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 258, L.D. 577, "An Act to Addt·ess 
Student Hunger and Nutrition Through Expanded Access to Free Milk in Schools" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act to Maximize Federal Funding and Pl'otect Maine's School Meals Programs' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec, 1. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, 11J, as amended by PL 2021, c. 759, Pt. D, 
§ 1, is further amended to read: 
B. A public school or a private school approved for tuition purposes, as defined in 
section 1, subsection 23, that enmlls at least 60% publicly funded students as 
determined by the previous year's October and April average enrollment and 
participates in the National School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 Code of 
Federal Regulations, Part 210 (2007) that serves breakfast shall provide a publicly 
funded student who is eligible for free and reduced-price meals under paragraph A a 
meal that meets the requfrements of the federal School Breakfast Program set fotth in 
Code of Federal Regulations, Patt 220 (2007) at no cost to the publicly funded 
student. The State shall provide to the public school or pl'ivate school approved for 
tuition purposes funding equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement for 
a free breakfast and the federal reimbursement for a reduced-price breakfast for each 
publicly funded student eligible for a reduced-price breakfast and receiving breakfast 
if the public school or private school approved for tuition purposes meets the 
requirements of section 6602-A. 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ,rD, as amended by PL 2021, c. 759, Pt. D, 
§2, is fmther amended to read: 
D. A public school or a private school approved for tuition purposes, as defined in 
section 1, subsection 23, that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students as 
determined by the previous year's October and April avernge enrollment and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " 
to S,P. 258, L.D. 577 { 0 -3 <g:)J 
pa1ticipates in the National School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 Code of 
Federal Regulations, Pait 210 (2007) that serves lunch shall provide a publicly funded 
student who is eligible for free and reduced-price meals under paragraph A a meal that 
meets the requirements of the federal National Schoof Lunch Progrnm set forth in 7 
Code of Federal Regulations, Patt 210(2019) at no cost to the publicly funded student. 
The State shall provide to the public school or private school approved for tuition 
purposes funding equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement for a free 
lunch and the federal 1·eimbursement for a reduced-price lunch for each publicly funded 
student eligible for a reduced-price lunch and receiving lunch if the public school or 
private school approved for tuition purposes meets the requirements of section 6602-A. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ,ill, as amended by PL 2021, c. 759, Pt. D, 
§3, is fmther amended to read: 
H. A public school or a private school approved for tuition purposes, as defined in 
section 1, subsection 23, that enrolls at feast 60% publicly funded students as 
determined by the previous year's October and April average enrollment and 
participates in the National School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 Code of 
Federal Regulations, Pait 210 (2007) that serves breakfast shall provide a publicly 
funded student who is ineligible for free or reduced-price meals under parngraph A a 
meal that meets the requirements of the federal School Breakfast Program set forth in 
Code of Federal Regulations, Patt 220 (2007) at no cost to the publicly funded 
student. The State shall provide to the public school 01· private school approved for 
tuition purposes funding equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement for 
a free breakfast and the foll pfiee of the federal l'eimbursement for a full-price regular 
breakfast for each publicly funded student ineligible for a free or reduced-price 
breakfast and receiving breakfast if the public school or private school approved for 
tuition purposes meets the requirements of section 6602-A. 
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§1, ,ii, as amended by PL 2021, c. 759, Pt. D, §4, 
is further amended to read: 
I. A public school or a private school approved for tuition purposes, as defined in 
section 1, subsection 23, that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students as 
determined by the previous year's October and April average enrollment and 
participates in the National School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 Code of 
Federal Regulations, Pait 210 (2007) that serves lunch shall provide a publicly funded 
student who is ineligible for free or reduced-price meals under paragraph A a meal that 
meets the requirements of the federal National School Lunch Program set fo1th in 7 
Code of Federal Regulations, Patt 210(2019) at no cost to the publicly funded student. 
The State shall provide to the public school 01· private school approved for tuition 
purposes funding equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement for a free 
lunch and the full priee of the federal reimbursement for a full-price lunch for each 
publicly funded student ineligible for a free or reduced-price lunch and receiving lunch 
if the public school or private school approved for tuition purposes meets the 
requil'einents of section 6602-A. 
Sec, 5. 20-A MRSA §6602-A is enacted to read: 
§6602-A. Federal funding for school food service programs 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEEAMENDMENT'A- "to S.P. 258, L.D. 577 (S·!J?J:>) 
1. Condition of schools receiving state reimbursement for school lunch and school 
breakfast, A public school or a private school approved for tuition purposes. as defined in 
section L subsection 23, that receives state funding under section 6602, subsection 1. 
paragraph B. D. Hor I. shall maximize the amount of federal reimbursement funds that the 
school receives in order to receive state funding equal to the difference between the federal 
reimbursement for a free regular breakfast and the federal reimbursement for a reduced~ 
price regula1· breakfast and equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement for 
a free lunch and the federal 1·ehnbursement for a reduced-price lunch, and funding equal to 
the difference between the federal reimbursement for a free breakfast or lunch and the 
federal reimbursement for a full-price breakfast or lunch for each publicly funded student 
receiving breakfast or lunch. The public school or private school apprnved fo1• tuition 
purposes, if eligible for any provisional school food service program. including. but not 
limited to. the community eligibility provision under the federal Healthy. Hunger-Free Kids 
Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296, Section 104(a). shall maximize participation in that 
prnvisional school food service program. The depa11ment shall determine whether the 
school is maximizing federal reimbursement funds. 
2, Department to communicate options to public schools and private schools to 
maximize federal funding. The depa11ment shall annually communicate school food 
service program options available to a public school or a private school approved for tuition 
purposes. as defined in section 1. subsection 23, to the school for the school to maximize 
federal funding in the school food service program. The department may provide technical 
assistance to a public school or a private school approved for tuition purposes and may 
contract with a 3rd-party entity, 
3. School not eligible for state funding if school does not participate in National 
School Lunch Program or provisional school food service prog1·am if eligible. A public 
school or a private school approved fo1· tuition purposes. as defined in section 1. subsection 
23, that does not pa1ticipate in the National School Lunch Program in accordance with 7 
Code of Federal Regulations. Pait 210 (2007) and does not participate in any provisional 
school food service program. if eligible. or that chooses a provisional school food service 
prngram option other than a school food service program option communicated to the 
pub1ic school 01· private school approved for tuition purposes under subsection 2 by the 
department may not receive state funding equal to the difference between the • federal 
reimbursement for a free breakfast and the federal reimbursement for a reduced-price 
breakfast and equal to the difference between the federal reimbursement for a free lunch 
and the federal reimbursement for a reduced-price lunch. and funding equal to the 
difference between the federal reimbursement for a free breakfast or lunch and the federal 
reimbursement for a ful 1-price breakfast or lunch for each publicly funded student receiving 
breakfast 01· lunch. 
Sec. 6. 
Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
School Finance and Operations Z078 
Initiative: Provides funding pursuant to Public Law 2021; chapter 398, Part 0000 to pay 
the difference between the federal reimbursement for a free breakfast or lunch and the full 
price of a breakfast or lunch for each student in a public school and for publicly funded 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 258, L.D. 577 (s 0~ 
students who attend an eligible private school that pa1ticipates in the National School 
Lunch Prngram. 
s 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2025-26 
$1,800,387 
2026-27 
$4,101,781 
$4,101,781 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and changes the title. The amendment provides that 
a public school or private school approved for tuition purposes that emails at least 60% 
publicly funded students and that participates in the National School Lunch Program in 
accordance with 7 Code of Federal Regulations, Patt 210 (2007) that serves breakfast and 
S 
lunch must maximize the amount of federal reimbursement the school receives in order to 
receive state funding. The amendment requires the Depattment of Education to annually 
communicate school food service program options to participating schools to maximize 
federal funding in the school food service program. A school that does not enroll in a school 
food service program option provided by the depa1tment may not receive state funding. 
The amendment also provides state funding for eligible schools. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/28/25 l-RL-
LD577 
LR 1496(02) 
An Act to Address Student Hunger and Nutrition Through Expanded Access to Free Milk in Schools 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "/l' ( S·33:>' 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
(J 
~ 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
• Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
$1,800,387 
$4,101,781 
$1,800,387 
$4,101,781 
Projections 
FY 2027-28 
$4,101,781 
$4,101,781 
Projections 
FY 2028-29 
$4,101,781 
$4,101,781 
This bill includes ongoing General Fund appropriations of $1,800,387 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $4, l 0 1,781 per year 
beginning in fiscal year 2026-27 to the Department of Education to pay the difference between the federal 
reimbursement for a free breakfast or lunch and the full price of a 'breakfast or lunch for each student in a public 
school and for publicly funded students that attend an eligible private school that participates in the National School 
Lunch Program. 
This funding is also included in LD 210, the proposed budget for the 2026-2027 biennium. This General Fund 
appropriations included in this bill may need to be adjusted based on final legislative actions on the biennial budget. 
LR.1496(02) • Fiscal Note• Page 1 of I