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SB 205 · 2025 · Senate · Education Committee

Free school breakfast and lunch

AI-generated

requiring schools to offer free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch to children who meet federal income eligibility guidelines.

Requires school boards to provide free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch to pupils who meet federal income eligibility guidelines.AI-generated

Status

Killed in the Senate — Inexpedient to Legislate · March 13, 2025
  1. ✓Introduced
  2. ✕Senate
  3. House
  4. Governor
  5. Law

Analysis

This bill requires school boards to provide breakfast and lunch to pupils under their jurisdiction.

From the bill's official ANALYSIS section.

In the bill's words

Quoted verbatim from the bill as introduced. Passages chosen from the operative text.Computed by this site

“Each school board shall make [at least one meal] lunch available during school hours to every pupil under its jurisdiction, and breakfast shall be made available before or during school hours to every pupil under the school board's jurisdiction, unless the start of school is delayed.”
Section 1
“Such meals shall be served without cost or at a reduced cost to any child who meets federal income eligibility guidelines.”
Section 1
“The state board of education shall ensure compliance with this section and shall establish minimum nutritional standards for such meals as well as income guidelines set for the family size used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals.”
Section 1

Official record

Bill page — docket & status

gc.nh.gov · the authoritative source

Sponsors

Sen. Pat LongDPrime
  • Rep. Laura TelerskiDDeputy Democratic Leader

Also: Sen. Debra AltschillerD

Public testimony

No one submitted online testimony on this bill. See the record

Votes

yeanay
Starting text: Bill as introduced
  • Mar 13, 2025SenateCommittee report: Inexpedient to Legislate3–2
    Overall
    60% yea
  • Mar 13, 2025SenateVoice voteInexpedient to Legislateadopted

Hearings and debates

  • Feb 11, 2025Public hearingSenate Education2:17:30–2:18:0333slocated in the stream transcriptHearing
  • Mar 13, 2025Floor debateSenate floor1:04:56–1:06:181m 22slocated in the stream transcriptCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate; Inexpedient to Legislate — adopted, voice vote

Timestamps locate where this bill is taken up in the chamber's YouTube stream.

Legislative history

  1. Jan 9, 2025SenIntroduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Education; SJ 3
  2. Feb 11, 2025SenHearing: 02/11/2025, Room 101, LOB, 09:45 am; SC 9
  3. Mar 13, 2025SenCommittee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate, 03/13/2025, Vote 3-2; SC 12
  4. Mar 13, 2025SenInexpedient to Legislate, MA, VV === BILL KILLED ===; 03/13/2025; SJ 7

Coverage

No reporting linked yet.

Background reading

Evergreen reading on the policy area — spanning perspectives — not coverage of this specific bill.

  • Summer EBTPrimary source

    USDA Food and Nutrition Service — The federal program, including the streamlined-certification provision the data sharing rests on.AI-generated

  • Summer nutrition programsAdvocacy

    Food Research & Action Center — Participation gaps and why automatic enrollment matters to reach.AI-generated

  • National School Lunch ProgramPrimary source

    USDA Food and Nutrition Service — The free and reduced-price eligibility determination that Summer EBT enrollment now piggybacks on.AI-generated

Documents (PDF)

  • Introducedversion

Bill text & amendments link direct to gc.nh.gov; committee reports stream from the state record.