2023 Michigan Compiled Laws › Chapter 388 - Schools and School Aid › Act 94 of 1979 - The State School Aid Act of 1979 (388.1601 - 388.1897l) › Article I - State Aid to Public Schools, Early Childhood, and Adult Education (388.1601...388.1772) › Section 388.1631k - Student Meal Debt Forgiveness Reimbursement.

388.1631k Student meal debt forgiveness reimbursement.
Sec. 31k.
(1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2022-2023 only an amount not to exceed $2,500,000.00 for payments to eligible districts as described in this section.
(2) Notwithstanding section 17b, to receive funding under this section a district must apply for the funding in a form and manner prescribed by the department by, as a first-time applicant, not later than October 1, 2023, or, if applying through a second application as described in subsection (6), not later than March 1, 2024.
(3) A district that demonstrates to the department that all outstanding student-meal debt has been forgiven is an eligible district under this section.
(4) Subject to subsection (8), the department shall provide payments to eligible districts in an amount necessary to reimburse the eligible districts for the cost of forgiving all outstanding student-meal debt.
(5) Notwithstanding section 17b, the department shall make reimbursement payments under this section as follows:
(a) Except as otherwise provided under subdivision (b), payments under subsection (4) to all eligible districts must be made by not later than 60 days after October 1, 2023.
(b) Payments under subsection (6) to all eligible districts must be made by not later than 60 days after March, 1, 2024, as provided under subsection (6).
(6) Subject to subsection (8), if the amount paid to eligible districts under subsection (4) is less than the amount allocated under subsection (1), the department may distribute the remaining funds to eligible districts through a second application in an amount necessary to reimburse eligible districts for the cost of forgiving all outstanding student-meal debt. An eligible district receiving a reimbursement payment under subsection (4) is not eligible for a reimbursement payment through a second application under this subsection.
(7) An eligible district receiving payments under this section shall adopt policies to prevent public identification or stigmatization of pupils who cannot pay for a school meal. These policies must prohibit all of the following:
(a) Requiring pupils who cannot pay for a school meal or who owe a student-meal debt to wear a wristband or handstamp.
(b) Requiring pupils who cannot pay for a school meal or who owe a student-meal debt to perform chores or other work to pay for school meals.
(c) Requiring a pupil to dispose of a meal after it has been served because the pupil is unable to pay for the meal or owes a student-meal debt.
(d) Communicating directly with a pupil about a student-meal debt unless the district has attempted to contact, but has been unsuccessful in communicating with, a pupil's parent or legal guardian through telephone, mail, and email.
(e) Discussing a pupil's student-meal debt in the presence of other pupils.
(8) If the amount allocated under this section is insufficient to fully reimburse the cost of student-meal debt forgiveness for all eligible districts, the department shall prorate the reimbursement on an equal percentage per district.
(9) The funds allocated under this section for 2022-2023 are a work project appropriation, and any unexpended funds for 2022-2023 are carried forward into 2023-2024. The purpose of the work project is to reimburse districts for forgiven student-meal debt. The estimated completion date of the work project is September 30, 2024.
History:
Add. 2023, Act 103, Imd. Eff. July 21, 2023
Compiler's Notes:
Former MCL 388.1631k, which pertained to 2020-2021 payments to eligible districts for student-meal debt, was repealed by Act 48 of 2021, Eff. Oct. 1, 2021.