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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to funding for the provision of meals to public school |
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students with insufficient balances on prepaid meal cards or meal |
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accounts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 33.908, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.908. FUNDING [GRACE PERIOD POLICY] FOR EXHAUSTED OR |
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INSUFFICIENT MEAL CARD OR ACCOUNT BALANCE. (a) Each [The board of |
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trustees of a] school district that allows students to use a prepaid |
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meal card or account to purchase meals served at a campus [schools] |
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in the district [shall adopt a grace period policy regarding the use |
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of the cards or accounts. The policy]: |
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(1) must allow a student whose meal card or account |
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balance is exhausted or insufficient to continue, for the entire |
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school year [a period determined by the board], to purchase meals |
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by: |
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(A) accumulating a negative balance on the |
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student's card or account; or |
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(B) otherwise receiving an extension of credit |
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from the district; and |
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(2) [must require the district to notify the parent of |
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or person standing in parental relation to the student that the |
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student's meal card or account balance is exhausted; |
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[(3)] may not [permit the district to] charge a fee or |
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interest in connection with meals purchased under Subdivision (1)[; |
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and |
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[(4) may permit the district to set a schedule for |
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repayment on the account balance as part of the notice to the parent |
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or person standing in parental relation to the student]. |
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(b) At the end of each school year, from funds available for |
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the purpose, the agency shall provide a grant to each district in |
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the amount necessary to pay the negative balance for each student |
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whose meal card or account balance is exhausted or insufficient, |
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excluding: |
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(1) any amount the school district received from |
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private donations from individuals and entities for the purpose of |
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paying the negative balance on a student's meal card or account; and |
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(2) any amount of reimbursement to which the district |
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is entitled under federal law. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |