Commencing with the 2022-2023 school year, existing law requires a school district or county superintendent of schools maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, or charter schools to provide two nutritiously adequate school meals free of charge during each school day to any pupil who requests a meal. Existing law provides that no consideration shall be made of the pupil’s eligibility for a federally funded free or reduced-priced meal, with a maximum of one free meal for each meal service period.
AB 558 establishes the Child Nutrition Act of 2022. It requires the State Department of Education consult with the State Department of Social Services to develop guidance by July 1, 2023, on how to serve eligible non-school children breakfast or a morning snack for local educational agencies participating in the federal School Breakfast Program. The guidance shall highlight opportunities to maximize federal reimbursement through the federal School Breakfast Program and the federal Child and Adult Care Program. The bill also requires that a guardian must accompany an eligible non-school-aged child at the school site in order for the non-school-aged child to receive breakfast or a snack. The bill defines “eligible non-school-aged child,” “guardian,” and “local educational agency” for purposes of this act. The bill does not require the local education agency to take any action.
(AB 558 adds Article 7.5, commencing with Section 49495, to Chapter 9 of Part 27 of Division 4 of the Education Code.)