Public Act 093-1086
 
HB0756 Enrolled LRB093 05401 NHT 05491 b

    AN ACT regarding schools.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Childhood Hunger Relief Act.
 
    Section 5. State policy and legislative intent. The General
Assembly recognizes that hunger and food security are serious
problems in the State of Illinois with as many as one million
citizens being affected. These citizens have lost their sense
of food security. Food insecurity occurs whenever the
availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the
ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways
is limited or uncertain. Hunger is a painful or uneasy
sensation caused by a recurrent or involuntary lack of food and
is a potential, although not necessary, consequence of food
insecurity. Over time, hunger may result in malnutrition. It is
estimated that just under 600,000 Illinois children experience
hunger or food insecurity, meaning that they either go without
eating meals, or their parents or guardians cannot provide the
kinds of food they need. At present, the Illinois economy is
steadily experiencing a 6% unemployment rate, people are being
laid off who thought they had job security, and the unemployed
are remaining unemployed beyond the terms of unemployment
benefits. Emergency food providers throughout the State are
experiencing an increase in the number of working poor families
requesting emergency food. In October 2003, Illinois was ranked
48th in the nation in providing school breakfasts to low-income
children of families who meet the criteria for free and
reduced-price lunches. Because low-income children are not
being adequately nourished, even to the point where many are
arriving at school hungry, the General Assembly believes it is
in the best interest of Illinois to utilize resources available
through existing child nutrition programs, to the fullest
extent possible.
    The General Assembly also recognizes a definite
correlation between adequate child nutrition and a child's
physical, emotional, and cognitive development. There is also a
correlation between adequate nutrition and a child's ability to
perform well in school. Documented research has proven that
school breakfasts improve attendance and increase a child's
readiness to learn. In this regard, the General Assembly
realizes the importance of the National School Breakfast
Program and the Summer Food Service Program as effective
measures that must be widely implemented to ensure more
adequate nutrition for Illinois children.
 
    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Hunger" means a symptom of poverty caused by a lack of
resources that prevents the purchasing of a nutritionally
adequate diet resulting in a chronic condition of being
undernourished.
    "Food insecurity" means a limited or uncertain
availability of nutritionally adequate foods.
    "Food security" means ensured access to enough food for an
active, healthy life.
    "School Breakfast Program" means the federal child
nutrition entitlement program that helps serve nourishing
low-cost breakfast meals to school children. In addition to
cash assistance, participating schools get foods donated by and
technical guidance from the United States Department of
Agriculture. Payments to schools are higher for meals served to
children who qualify, on the basis of family size and income,
for free or reduced-price meals. The program is administered in
Illinois by the State Board of Education.
    "Summer Food Service Program" means the federal child
nutrition entitlement program that helps communities serve
meals to needy children when school is not in session. The
United States Department of Agriculture reimburses sponsors
for operating costs of food services up to a specific maximum
rate for each meal served. In addition, sponsors receive some
reimbursement for planning and supervising expenses. The
program in Illinois is administered by the State Board of
Education.
 
    Section 15. School breakfast program.
    (a) Within 90 days after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and then each
school year thereafter, the board of education of each school
district in this State shall implement and operate a school
breakfast program, if a breakfast program does not currently
exist, in accordance with federal guidelines in each school
building within its district in which at least 40% or more of
the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches
based upon the count on October 31 of the previous year.
    Using the data from the previous school year, the board of
education of each school district in the State shall determine
which schools within their districts will be required to
implement and operate a school breakfast program.
    (b) School districts may charge students who do not meet
federal criteria for free school meals for the breakfasts
served to these students within the allowable limits set by
federal regulations.
    (c) School breakfast programs established under this
Section shall be supported entirely by federal funds and
commodities, charges to students and other participants, and
other available State and local resources, including under the
School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act. Allowable costs for
reimbursement to school districts, in accordance with the
United States Department of Agriculture, include compensation
of employees for the time devoted and identified specifically
to implement the school breakfast program; the cost of
materials acquired, consumed, or expended specifically to
implement the school breakfast program; equipment and other
approved capital expenditures necessary to implement the
school breakfast program; and transportation expenses incurred
specifically to implement and operate the school breakfast
program.
    (d) A school district shall be allowed to opt out of the
school breakfast program requirement of this Section if it is
determined that, due to circumstances specific to that school
district, the expense reimbursement would not fully cover the
costs of implementing and operating a school breakfast program.
The school district shall petition its regional superintendent
of schools by November 15 to request to be exempt from the
school breakfast program requirement. The petition shall
include all legitimate costs associated with implementing and
operating a school breakfast program, the estimated
reimbursement from State and federal sources, and any unique
circumstances the school district can verify that exist that
would cause the implementation and operation of such a program
to be cost prohibitive.
    The regional superintendent of schools shall review the
petition. He or she shall convene a public hearing to hear
testimony from the school district and interested community
members. The regional superintendent shall, by December 15,
inform the school district of his or her decision, along with
the reasons why the exemption was granted or denied, in
writing. If the regional superintendent grants an exemption to
the school district, then the school district is relieved from
the requirement to establish and implement a school breakfast
program.
    If the regional superintendent of schools does not grant an
exemption to the school district, then the school district
shall implement and operate a school breakfast program in
accordance with this Section by September 1 of the subsequent
school year. However, the school district or a resident of the
school district may appeal the decision of the regional
superintendent to the State Superintendent of Education. No
later than February 15 of each year, the State Superintendent
shall hear appeals on the decisions of regional superintendents
of schools. The State Superintendent shall make a final
decision at the conclusion of the hearing on the school
district's request for an exemption from the school breakfast
program requirement. If the State Superintendent grants an
exemption to the school district, then the school district is
relieved from the requirement to implement and operate a school
breakfast program. If the State Superintendent does not grant
an exemption to the school district, then the school district
shall implement and operate a school breakfast program in
accordance with this Section by September 1 of the subsequent
school year.
    A school district may not attempt to opt out of the school
breakfast program requirement of this Section by requesting a
waiver under Section 2-3.25g of the School Code.
 
    Section 20. Summer food service program.
    (a) The State Board of Education shall promulgate a State
plan for summer food service programs, in accordance with 42
U.S.C. Sec. 1761 and any other applicable federal laws and
regulations, by January 15, 2006.
    (b) By the summer of 2006 and then each summer thereafter,
it is strongly encouraged that the board of education of each
school district in this State in which at least 50% of the
students are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals
operate a summer food service program or identify a non-profit
or private agency to sponsor a summer food service program
within the school district's boundaries.
    (c) Summer food service programs established under this
Section may be supported by federal funds and commodities and
other available State and local resources.
 
    Section 95. The School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act is
amended by changing Sections 2.5, 4, and 5 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 125/2.5)
    Sec. 2.5. Breakfast incentive program. The State Board of
Education shall fund a breakfast incentive program comprised of
the components described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of
this Section, provided that a separate appropriation is made
for the purposes of this Section. The State Board of Education
may allocate the appropriation among the program components in
whatever manner the State Board of Education finds will best
serve the goal of increasing participation in school breakfast
programs. If the amount of the appropriation allocated under
paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this Section is insufficient to
fund all claims submitted under that particular paragraph, the
claims under that paragraph shall be prorated.
        (1) The State Board of Education may reimburse each
    sponsor of a school breakfast program an additional $0.10
    for each free, reduced-price, and paid breakfast served
    over and above the number of such breakfasts served in the
    same month during the preceding year, provided that the
    number of breakfasts served in a participating school
    building by the sponsor in that month is at least 10%
    greater than the number of breakfasts served in the same
    month during the preceding year.
        (2) The State Board of Education may make grants to
    school boards and welfare centers that agree to start a
    school breakfast program in one or more schools or other
    sites. First priority for these grants shall be given to
    schools in which 40% 50% or more of their students are
    eligible for free and reduced price meals under the
    National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
    Depending on the availability of funds and the rate at
    which funds are being utilized, the State Board of
    Education is authorized to allow additional schools or
    other sites to receive these grants. In making additional
    grants, the State Board of Education shall provide for
    priority to be given to schools with the highest percentage
    of students eligible for free and reduced price lunches
    under the National School Lunch Act. The amount of the
    grant shall be $3,500 for each qualifying school or site in
    which a school breakfast program is started. The grants
    shall be used to pay the start-up costs for the school
    breakfast program, including equipment, supplies, and
    program promotion, but shall not be used for food, labor,
    or other recurring operational costs. Applications for the
    grants shall be made to the State Board of Education on
    forms designated by the State Board of Education. Any
    grantee that fails to operate a school breakfast program
    for at least 3 years after receipt of a grant shall refund
    the amount of the grant to the State Board of Education.
        (3) The State Board of Education may reimburse a school
    board for each free, reduced-price, or paid breakfast
    served in a school breakfast program located in a school in
    which 80% or more of the students are eligible to receive
    free or reduced price lunches under the National School
    Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) in an amount equal to
    the difference between (i) the current amount reimbursed by
    the federal government for a free breakfast and (ii) the
    amount actually reimbursed by the federal government for
    that free, reduced-price, or paid breakfast. A school board
    that receives reimbursement under this paragraph (3) shall
    not be eligible in the same year to receive reimbursement
    under paragraph (1) of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 91-843, eff. 6-22-00.)
 
    (105 ILCS 125/4)  (from Ch. 122, par. 712.4)
    Sec. 4. Accounts; copies of menus served; free lunch
program required; report. School boards and welfare centers
shall keep an accurate, detailed and separate account of all
moneys expended for school breakfast programs, school lunch
programs, free breakfast programs, and free lunch programs, and
summer food service programs, and of the amounts for which they
are reimbursed by any governmental agency, moneys received from
students and from any other contributors to the program. School
boards and welfare centers shall also keep on file a copy of
all menus served under the programs, which together with all
records of receipts and disbursements, shall be made available
to representatives of the State Board of Education at any time.
    Every public school must have a free lunch program.
    In 2001 and in each subsequent year, the State Board of
Education shall provide to the Governor and the General
Assembly, by a date not later than March 1, a report that
provides all of the following:
        (1) A list by school district of all schools, the total
    student enrollment, and the number of children eligible for
    free, reduced price, and paid breakfasts and lunches.
        (2) A list of schools that have started breakfast
    programs during the past year along with information on
    which schools have utilized the $3,500 start-up grants and
    the additional $0.10 per meal increased participation
    incentives established under Section 2.5 of this Act.
        (3) A list of schools that have used the school
    breakfast program option outlined in this Act, a list of
    schools that have exercised Provision Two or Provision
    Three under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771
    et seq.), and a list of schools that have dropped either
    school lunch or school breakfast programs during the past
    year and the reasons why.
    In 2007, 2009, and 2011 2001, 2003, and 2005 the report
required by this Section shall also include information that
documents the results of surveys designed to identify parental
interest in school breakfast programs and documents barriers to
establishing school breakfast programs. To develop the surveys
for school administrators and for parents, the State Board of
Education shall work in coordination with the State Board of
Education's Child Nutrition Advisory Council and local
committees that involve parents, teachers, principals,
superintendents, business, and anti-hunger advocates,
organized by the State Board of Education to foster community
involvement. The State Board of Education is authorized to
distribute the surveys in all schools where there are no school
breakfast programs.
(Source: P.A. 91-843, eff. 6-22-00.)
 
    (105 ILCS 125/5)  (from Ch. 122, par. 712.5)
    Sec. 5. Application for participation in programs.
Applications for participation in the school breakfast
program, the school lunch program, the free breakfast program,
and the free lunch program, and the summer food service program
shall be made on forms provided by the State Board of Education
and filed with the State Board, through the Regional
Superintendent of Schools.
(Source: P.A. 91-843, eff. 6-22-00.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 2/15/2005