relative to eligibility for free school meals.

This bill expands eligibility for free school meals in New Hampshire to include students from households earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Under the new rules, school districts must provide at least one free meal daily to every student whose family income falls below this threshold, with the state funding the additional costs through the education trust fund. The legislation also updates the definition of the education trust fund to explicitly include money for these expanded meal programs. These changes take effect on September 1, 2023, and aim to ensure more children have access to nutritious food during school hours.