Creates and provides for the Free School Breakfast Program to be administered by the state Department of Education (OR INCREASE SG EX See Note)

House Bill 269 creates a new Free School Breakfast Program within the Louisiana Department of Education by enacting R.S. 17:192(C). The legislation establishes a state funding mechanism whereby the Department of Education shall reimburse participating school districts for each reimbursable school breakfast served to students, limited to one breakfast per student per school day. The reimbursement amount for each governing authority equals the difference between the federal reimbursement provided by the United States Department of Agriculture and the free rate set annually by the United States Secretary of Agriculture under federal law. The Department of Education is authorized to establish a payment schedule for these reimbursements, and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education must promulgate rules necessary for program implementation.

School districts seeking to participate and receive state funding must satisfy four core requirements. First, they must participate in the federal School Breakfast Program. Second, they must provide reimbursable breakfasts at no cost to all students each school day in any breakfast program operated by the district. Third, participating districts must maximize access to federal funding by adopting the USDA's Community Eligibility Provision or other federal provisions yielding maximum federal funding for school meals, with mandatory participation for districts meeting eligibility thresholds. Fourth, districts must maximize student participation through methods such as offering grab-and-go breakfasts or making meals available in classrooms after the school day begins. These requirements create operational and financial obligations for school district administrators and nutrition program directors implementing the program.

House Bill 269 operates within Louisiana's existing school lunch and breakfast framework established in R.S. 17:192, which addresses the duty to furnish lunches and breakfasts to students. The bill integrates state funding with existing federal school meal programs under 42 U.S.C. Section 1759a and federal nutritional standards codified in 7 CFR Part 210 and 7 CFR Part 245. The statute is structured as a conditional appropriation measure, with implementation expressly subject to legislative appropriation of funds, meaning the program cannot proceed without dedicated state budget authority. Initial implementation is scheduled for the 2026-2027 school year. Additionally, the Department of Education is required to convene stakeholder groups to examine potential expansion to statewide free school meals through other state-funded programs, suggesting this legislation may serve as a foundation for broader meal assistance initiatives.