Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House committee advances bill to eliminate reduced‑price co‑pays for school meals; floor vote sends measure to appropriations
Summary
The House moved House Bill 551 out of committee on a 69‑31 vote after extended debate about hunger, stigma and fiscal cost. Sponsors say the $600,000 annual appropriation would cover roughly 5,676 students on reduced‑price plans; the floor later re‑referred the bill to Appropriations without objection.
Representative Will Romano pushed House Bill 551 to remove the small co‑payments families now pay for reduced‑price school breakfast and lunch, saying the change would ease food insecurity and stigma for students.
Romano, the bill sponsor, said the measure would allocate $600,000 annually from the state general fund and authorized the superintendent of public instruction to seek donations or further appropriations if needed. "For about a hundred dollars per student, we can ease the burden of hard working families who struggle to cover essentials," Romano said.
The proposal drew extended floor debate. Representative Strand, speaking from classroom experience,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
