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91_HB2379eng HB2379 Engrossed LRB9103052NTsb 1 AN ACT concerning nutritional services for children. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Childhood Hunger Prevention Act. 6 Section 5. State policy and legislative intent. The 7 General Assembly recognizes that hunger and food security are 8 serious problems in the State of Illinois with as many as one 9 million citizens being affected. These citizens have lost 10 their sense of food security. It is estimated that just 11 under 600,000 Illinois children experience hunger or food 12 insecurity, meaning that they either go without eating meals, 13 or their parents cannot provide the kinds of food they need. 14 Because low-income children are not being adequately 15 nourished, even to the point where many are arriving at 16 school hungry, the General Assembly believes it is in the 17 best interest of Illinois to utilize resources available 18 through existing child nutrition programs, to the fullest 19 extent possible. 20 The General Assembly also recognizes a definite 21 correlation between adequate child nutrition and a child's 22 physical, emotional, and cognitive development. There is 23 also a correlation between adequate nutrition and a child's 24 ability to perform well in school. In this regard, the 25 General Assembly realizes the importance of the National 26 School Breakfast Program and the Summer Food Service Program 27 as effective measures that must be widely implemented to 28 insure more adequate nutrition for Illinois children. 29 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: 30 "Hunger" means a symptom of poverty caused by a lack of HB2379 Engrossed -2- LRB9103052NTsb 1 resources that prevents the purchasing of a nutritionally 2 adequate diet resulting in a chronic condition of being 3 undernourished. 4 "Food insecurity" means a limited or uncertain 5 availability of nutritionally adequate foods. 6 "Food security" means assured access to enough food for 7 an active, healthy life. 8 "School Breakfast Program" means the federal child 9 nutrition entitlement program that helps serve nourishing 10 low-cost breakfast meals to school children. In addition to 11 cash assistance, participating schools get USDA-donated foods 12 and technical guidance. Payments to schools are higher for 13 meals served to children who qualify, on the basis of family 14 size and income, for free or reduced-price meals. The 15 program is administered in Illinois by the State Board of 16 Education. 17 "Summer Food Service Program" means the federal child 18 nutrition entitlement program that helps communities serve 19 meals to needy children when school is not in session. The 20 USDA reimburses sponsors for operating costs of food services 21 up to a specific maximum rate for each meal served. In 22 addition, sponsors receive some reimbursement for planning 23 and supervising expenses. The program in Illinois is 24 administered by the State Board of Education. 25 Section 15. School breakfast program. 26 (a) By September 1, 2001, the board of education of each 27 school district in this State shall implement a school 28 breakfast program if a breakfast program does not currently 29 exist, in accordance with federal guidelines in each school 30 within its district in which at least 40% or more of the 31 students receive free or reduced price lunches. The school 32 district and the individual schools shall develop a written 33 plan to administer the breakfast program that includes HB2379 Engrossed -3- LRB9103052NTsb 1 objectives, specific services and activities, and assessment 2 and reporting procedures. 3 During the 2000-2001 school year, the board of education 4 of each school district in the State shall determine which 5 schools within their districts will be required to implement 6 a school breakfast program. 7 (b) By September 1, 2002, the board of education of each 8 school district in this State shall implement a school 9 breakfast program in accordance with federal guidelines in 10 each school within its district in which 20% or more of the 11 students receive free or reduced price lunches if a breakfast 12 program does not currently exist. The school district and 13 the individual schools shall develop a written plan to 14 administer the breakfast program that includes objectives, 15 specific services and activities, and assessment and 16 reporting procedures. 17 (c) By September 1, 2003, the board of education of each 18 school district in this State shall implement a school 19 breakfast program in accordance with federal guidelines in 20 each school within its district in which a school lunch 21 program is provided if a breakfast program does not currently 22 exist. The school district and the individual schools shall 23 develop a written plan to administer the breakfast program 24 that includes objectives, specific services and activities, 25 and assessment and reporting procedures. 26 (d) School districts may charge students who do not meet 27 federal criteria for free or reduced price school meals for 28 the breakfasts served to these students within the allowable 29 limits set by federal regulations. 30 (e) School breakfast programs established under this 31 Section shall be supported entirely by federal funds and 32 commodities, charges to students and other participants, and 33 other available State and local resources, including under 34 the School Free Lunch Program Act. HB2379 Engrossed -4- LRB9103052NTsb 1 Section 20. Summer food service program. 2 (a) The State Board of Education shall promulgate a 3 state plan for summer food service programs in accordance 4 with 42 USCA 1761 and any other applicable federal laws and 5 regulations, by February 15, 2001. 6 (b) By the summer of 2001, the board of education of 7 each school district in this State in which at least 50% of 8 the students receive free or reduced price school meals shall 9 operate a summer food service program or ensure that a 10 sponsor for a summer food service program operates within 11 that district. 12 (c) Summer school food service programs established 13 under this Section shall be supported by federal funds and 14 commodities, charges to students and other participants, and 15 other available State and local resources, including under 16 the School Free Lunch Program Act. 17 Section 95. The School Free Lunch Program Act is amended 18 by changing Sections 4 and 5 as follows: 19 (105 ILCS 125/4) (from Ch. 122, par. 712.4) 20 Sec. 4. School boards and welfare centers shall keep an 21 accurate, detailed and separate account of all moneys 22 expended for school lunch programs, school breakfast 23 programs,andfree breakfast and free lunch programs, and 24 summer food service programs, and of the amounts for which 25 they are reimbursed by any governmental agency, moneys 26 received from students and from any other contributors to the 27 program. School boards and welfare centers shall also keep on 28 file a copy of all menus served under the school lunch 29 program, school breakfast program,orfree breakfast or free 30 lunch program, or summer food service program, which together 31 with all records of receipts and disbursements, shall be made 32 available to representatives of the State Board of Education HB2379 Engrossed -5- LRB9103052NTsb 1 at any time. 2 Every public school must have a free lunch program in 3 effect by September 1, 1970. 4 (Source: P.A. 81-1508.) 5 (105 ILCS 125/5) (from Ch. 122, par. 712.5) 6 Sec. 5. Applications for participation in the school 7 lunch program, school breakfast program, the free breakfast 8 program, summer food service program, and the free lunch 9 program shall be made on forms provided by the State Board of 10 Education and filed with the State Board, through the 11 Regional Superintendent of Schools. 12 A school district shall certify any child that is a 13 member of a household receiving food stamps or a member of a 14 family receiving assistance under the Temporary Assistance 15 for Needy Families program is eligible for free meals without 16 any further application process or the consent of the child's 17 parent or guardian. Information about a child's status shall 18 be provided by the Department of Human Services to a school 19 district upon written request. A school district shall not 20 use this information for any purpose other than determining 21 eligibility. 22 (Source: P.A. 81-1508.) 23 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 24 becoming law.