An Act to Expand
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2064
Committee Amendment CA_A_S568 (Senate)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6603-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/T' to S.P. 853, L,D. 2064, "An Act to Expand
Access to Early Childhood Nutrition by Establishing a Grant Program for Public
Preschools"
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the
following:
'See. 1. 20-A MRSA §6603-A is enacted to read:
§6603-A. Early childhood nutrition grant Dt'oeram
The department shall create and administer, in consultation with the Department of
Health and Human Services. Office of Child and Family Services. a erant oroeram to
provide grants to school administrative units to enter into agreements with providers ofoff-
site public preschool proerams to provide students in those proerams with breakfast, lunch
and a snack in accordance with this section.
1. Definition. For the purposes of this section, "off-site cublic preschool proeram"
means a public preschool proeram offered by a public school in the State in parttiershio
with a community provider that is not located on the site of a public school and includes.
but is not limited to. a public preschool proeram offered at a private child care facility.
2. Elieibilih'. After consultins with the Department of Health and Human Services.
Office of Child and Family Services, the department shall adopt rules to establish eligibilih'
standards and requirements for participation in the grant m'oeram. EliBibilitv standards and
requirements must alien with rules adopted bv the Department of Health and Human
Services for the licensine of child care facilities, includine. but not limited to. child care
centers, nursery schools and small child care facilities. Elieibilitv standards and
requirements must include. but are not limited to:
A. A requirement that the off-site public oreschool oroeram. meet the basic apDroval
standards for public oreschools adopted by the department:
B, A requirement that the off-site public preschool Droeram provide food that meets
the nutritional standards developed for child care centers as provided in section 6602
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
ROS
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "^ " fo S.P. 853, L.D. 2064 f5^
and oursuantto 42 United States Code. Section 1766 and administered bv the United
States Deparhnent of Agriculture. child and adult food care oroeram;
C. Requirements for the eligibility of school administrative units oartnerine with
licensed child care Droerams for the delivery of special education services for children
eligible under Part B, Section 619 as defined in section 7001, subsection l-D^nd
D. A requirement that a memorandum of understandine between the schoQl
administrative unit and the off-site public preschool oroeram orovider describe the
process by which meals will be delivered and reimbursed,
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5.
cha&ter 375, subchapter 2-A,
3. Awards. Grants awarded by the department pursuant to this section are eovemed
as follows.
A. The amount of a grant is limited to the total annual oer-student reimbursement rate
for the National School Lunch Program established in 7 Code of Federal Regulations.
Part 210.
B. In addition to a grant under paragraph A. an eligible school administrative unit that
is oartnerine with an off-site public oreschool proeram may aDDlv for an additional
erant of no more than $10.000 for infrastructure imorovements. includine. but not
limited to. transportation or delivery of meals, to allow the off-site public preschool
proRfam to provide breakfast. lunch and a snack.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
School Finance and Operations Z078
Initiative: Provides funding to establish 2 Education Specialist II positions and related All
Other costs for a grant program to allow school administrative units to enter into
agreements with providers of off-site public preschool programs to provide students in
those programs with breakfast, lunch and a snack.
GENERAL FUND 2025-26 2026-27
Personal Services $0 $217,430
All Other $0 $498,656
3233 GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $716,086
School Finance and Operations Z078
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for start-up grant fimding to eligible school
administrative units that require infrastruchire improvements m order to provide meals.
GENERAL FUND 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $0 $150,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $150,000
Page2-132LR2904(02)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
ROS
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/^ " to S,P, 853, L.D, 2064 ^-[
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
GENERAL FUND $0 $866,086
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 $866,086
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, replaces the bill. The
amendment provides that the Department of Education must administer the early childhood
nutrition grant program and clarifies the types of public preschool programs that are eligible
for a grant, The amendment also requires that an eligible public preschool program must
meet certain nutritional standards developed for child care centers and that the eligibility
standards developed by the department must align with Department of Health and Human
Services standards for child care centers. The amendment also requires that eligibility
standards for the grant program must include eligibility for school administrative units
partnering with licensed child care programs for the delivery of special education services
for children with disabilities.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved; 03/06/26 I^Kt.
LD 2064 LR 2904(02)
An Act to Expand Access to Early Childhood Nutrition by Establishing a Grant Program for Public
Preschools
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ^"^5 •^(i3^>
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Projections Projections
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28 FY 2028-29
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund $0 $866,086 $726,958 $736,006
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund $0 $866,086 $726,958 $736,006
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill requires the Department of Education (department) to create and administer, in consultation with the
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services, a grant program to provide students
in off-site public preschool programs with breakfast, lunch, and a snack. The bill includes ongoing General Fund
appropriations totaling $866,086 in fiscal year 2026-27 to the Department of Education (department), including
$217,430 in Personal Services costs for two Education Specialist II positions to support the grant program, $18,656 in
All Other costs for overhead for these two positions, and $480,000 in ongoing grant funding to eligible school
administrative units for meal costs, estimated at $1200 per student annually for 400 students. The bill also includes a
one-time General Fund appropriation of $ 150,000 in fiscal year 2026-27 to the department for startup grant funding to
eligible school administrative units that require infrastructure improvements in order to provide these meals.
Any additional costs to the Department of Health and Human Services to implement the provisions of this bill are
expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.
LR2904(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1