Bill would eliminate reduced-price meal copays; sponsor seeks $600,000 annual appropriation

Representative Melissa Romano (R-80) opened the hearing on House Bill 551, saying the measure would create a state-funded reimbursement so students who currently qualify for reduced-price meals would receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. "This is a bill about feeding kids," Romano said. "1 in 6 children in Montana live in a food insecure household, meaning nearly 40,000 children do not consistently have enough to eat."

HB 551 requests $600,000 annually from the general fund to reimburse schools for eliminating the reduced-price co-pay. Romano said the superintendent of public instruction could seek donations or future appropriations if more funds are needed; she also said an appropriation had been discussed in HB 2 to cover initial funding.

Proponents included classroom teachers, the Montana Food Bank Network, the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE), No Kid Hungry advocates, local school trustees and superintendents and county food banks. Testimony emphasized student health and learning benefits, the administrative burden of collecting small copays and instances of meal debt and "lunch shaming." One proponent said removing the copay reduced stigma and decreased school meal debt; another described local deferred maintenance and budget pressures that force districts to shift general funds to cover negative food-service balances.

Witnesses and sponsor discussed the bill's scale. Bella Buscirilli, the child nutrition coordinator (handout provided to the committee), said the figure of about 21,000 students represents the current reduced-price student population who would become free under the bill. That estimate implied about $28.50 per student per year on average if $600,000 covered the cohort; Romano said she selected $600,000 to allow for likely participation and that unused money would revert to the general fund. She also said a biennium estimate might approach $930,000 and that staff would follow up with OPI data if members requested it.

Committee members asked technical questions about meal prices and program mechanics. Staff and witnesses said full-price lunch commonly ranged from about $3.00 (elementary) to $3.25 (middle/high) in some districts; reduced-price copays are typically 30 to 40 cents depending on meal type. Sponsors and witnesses told the committee that some districts already collect unpaid meal debt and that smaller per-meal copays nonetheless present a barrier for many working families.

No formal committee vote was taken during the hearing.