BISMARCK — The North Dakota House of Representatives has approved a pared-down proposal to use state funds to pay for school lunches.
The chamber voted 80-11 on Friday, Feb. 17, to advance House Bill 1491, which would allocate $6 million over the next two school years to cover K-12 students' lunch costs if their family income is less than double the federal poverty level. The legislation will head to the Senate next month.
Conservative lawmakers amended the bill sponsored by Rep. LaurieBeth Hager, D-Fargo, which originally would have used $89.5 million to provide free lunches to all K-12 students.
Families of four with incomes at or below $60,000 would qualify for the proposed free lunch program in North Dakota, according to current poverty level income figures.
A federal program already provides free meals to students from families making below 130% of the federal poverty level, so the state allocation would cover kids with family incomes between 130-200% of the poverty level.
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Hager told the House on Friday her bill would make a difference for working families that struggle to pay for school lunches.
Rep. Jeff Hoverson, R-Minot, spoke against the bill, noting he worried it would lead to a permanent appropriation since "I don’t know who would want to be the person 10 years from now … to try to reverse giving free lunches.”
The House advanced another Democrat-backed bill earlier this week to prevent schools from withholding meals to students with modest lunch debts.
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