HB2186- school meals; unpaid fees (Udall)

This bill states that a school must provide a school meal up to nutrition standards to any pupil who requests one, regardless of owed monies or ability to pay.

Forbids local education agencies (LEA) from doing the following:

1. Publicizing names or use any physical markers to identify pupils with unpaid meal fees.
2. Requiring pupils with unpaid fees to use a different serving line for reimbursable alternate meals.
3. Enlisting volunteers to request payment from the family for meal fees.
4. Disposing of a pupil’s meal if they are unable to pay.
5. Requiring pupils to work as payment for meal fees.
6. Attempting to collect unpaid meal fees from pupil.
7. Disciplining a pupil in a manner that results in denial or delay of meal.

Clarifies that an LEA may attempt to collect unpaid meal fees from a parent or guardian, however they may not use a debt collector.

States that an LEA must establish and post a transparent policy for collecting school meal fees from parents or guardians.

Allows district governing boards to establish payment plans for parents to pay meal fees that can include donations made to a meal fee debt fund.