Amendment ID: S2460-2-R1

Redraft Amendment 2

Food After Friday

Messrs. Welch, Lesser and Montigny move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 3, the following section:-

“SECTION 4. (a) The department shall, within one year of the effective date of this act, establish and implement, the Weekend Food Backpack Program (the Pilot) in at least one elementary, secondary or vocational school at which not less than 60 per cent of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals under the federal income eligibility guidelines. The Pilot shall provide prepackaged meals, including but not limited to two breakfasts, two lunches, and two bottles of milk, to students each Friday afternoon at the end of the instructional day.

(b) The department shall establish an application process for the Pilot Program.  Public elementary, secondary or vocational schools that meet the criteria under this section may apply to participate in the Pilot.

(c) The department shall review applications and select at least one public elementary, secondary or vocational school to be the location for the Pilot Program.

(d) The department shall provide the Legislature with a yearly report on the Pilot Program, on or before July 1 of each year of the program beginning in 2022. The report shall include but not be limited to the number of participants, the age of participants, the duration of participants enrollment, the percentage of participants enrolled in federal anti-poverty programs, including but not limited to MassHealth, Women, Infants, & Children Nutrition Program, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the number and composition of meals distributed through the program, how the program were able to leverage additional support, and the advisability of expanding the program to other schools or school districts.

(e) The department shall annually collect information about participation rates of students who are offered meals as part of this Pilot Program, under this section and make the information publicly available on its website not later than July 1. The department may promulgate regulations to implement this section and may consult with nonprofit organizations with experience regarding food backpack programs, hunger and food security issues and best practices for improving student access to food on non-instructional days”.