THE BILL ITSELF
SB 1674
K-12 School Lunches and Breakfasts
Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1674 By Senator Rouson 16-01513-26 20261674__
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to K-12 school lunches and breakfasts;
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amending s. 1001.42, F.S.; requiring K-12 public
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schools to participate in the National School Lunch
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Program and the School Breakfast Program; providing
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requirements for the provision of school lunches and
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breakfasts at such schools; authorizing school
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districts to collect payment for specified meals;
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prohibiting school districts from using third-party
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debt collectors; providing for the reimbursement of
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school breakfasts by the Department of Agriculture and
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Consumer Services; providing a calculation for such
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reimbursement; authorizing the Department of
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Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt rules;
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providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Subsection (16) of section 1001.42, Florida
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Statutes, is amended to read:
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1001.42 Powers and duties of district school board.—The
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district school board, acting as a board, shall exercise all
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powers and perform all duties listed below:
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(16) SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.—
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(a) Assume such responsibilities and exercise such powers
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and perform such duties as may be assigned to it by law or as
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may be required by rules of the Department of Agriculture and
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Consumer Services or, as in the opinion of the district school
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board, are necessary to ensure school lunch services, consistent
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with needs of students; effective and efficient operation of the
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program; and the proper articulation of the school lunch program
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with other phases of education in the district.
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(b) Each school district shall require each school within
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the district to participate in the National School Lunch Program
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and the School Breakfast Program. Each school shall make:
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1. Lunch available pursuant to the National School Lunch
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Program, regardless of whether a student has the money to pay
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for the lunch or owes money for meals previously provided. A
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school district may collect payment for meals provided pursuant
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to this paragraph. However, a school district may not use a
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third-party debt collector to collect such debt.
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2. Breakfast available pursuant to the National School
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Breakfast Program at no cost to the student unless the student’s
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parent has provided written notification to the school to
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withhold such meal from the student. The Department of
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Agriculture and Consumer Services shall reimburse each school
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district for each school breakfast served to a student, with a
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maximum of one breakfast per student per school day. The
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reimbursement rate shall be the difference between the amount
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paid by the United States Department of Agriculture and the free
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rate set annually by the United States Secretary of Agriculture
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for each school.
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(c) The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services may
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adopt rules to administer this subsection.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.