CSHB 12(EDC): "An Act relating to reduced-price meals in public schools; establishing the public school reduced-price meal fund; relating to contributions from permanent fund dividends; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 12(EDC) 01 "An Act relating to reduced-price meals in public schools; establishing the public school 02 reduced-price meal fund; relating to contributions from permanent fund dividends; and 03 providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read: 06 Sec. 14.03.128. Public school reduced-price meal fund. (a) A school district 07 that participates in a national school meal program may not charge a fee for a reduced- 08 price meal provided to a student who is eligible for the meal under the program. 09 (b) The public school reduced-price meal fund is established as an account in 10 the general fund. The fund consists of money appropriated to the fund by the 11 legislature, including donations and interest earned on money in the fund. 12 (c) The department shall distribute money in the fund to each school district 13 that participates in a national school meal program in an amount equal to the cost the 14 school district incurs through providing reduced-price meals to eligible students in a
01 fiscal year, minus the amount the school district receives from federal reimbursements 02 or other state aid for providing reduced-price meals for that fiscal year. If insufficient 03 funding is appropriated to the fund to fully compensate each school district for the cost 04 of providing reduced-price meals under this section, the department shall distribute the 05 funding pro rata to the school districts. 06 (d) The department may spend money appropriated to the fund for the 07 purposes of the fund without further appropriation. Money in the fund does not lapse. 08 (e) Nothing in this section creates a dedicated fund. 09 (f) In this section, 10 (1) "national school meal program" means a federal program for free 11 or reduced-price meals under 42 U.S.C. 1751 - 1769j (National School Lunch Act) or 12 42 U.S.C. 1771-1793 (Child Nutrition Act of 1966); 13 (2) "reduced-price meal" means a meal that a school district provides 14 at a reduced price under a national school meal program. 15 * Sec. 2. AS 43.23.130(a) is amended to read: 16 (a) Notwithstanding AS 43.23.200, the Department of Revenue shall prepare 17 the electronic Alaska permanent fund dividend application to allow an applicant who 18 files electronically to direct that money be subtracted from the dividend payment and 19 contributed to the public school reduced-price meal fund (AS 14.03.128), the crime 20 victim compensation fund (AS 18.67.162), the peace officer and firefighter survivors' 21 fund, or one or more of the educational organizations, community foundations, or 22 charitable organizations that appear on the contribution list contained in the 23 application. A contribution to the public school reduced-price meal fund, the crime 24 victim compensation fund, the peace officer and firefighter survivors' fund, or [TO] an 25 organization may be $25, $50, $75, $100, or more, in increments of $50, up to the 26 total amount of the permanent fund dividend that the applicant is entitled to receive. If 27 the total amount of contributions elected by an applicant exceeds the amount of the 28 permanent fund dividend that the applicant is entitled to receive, contributions shall be 29 deducted from the dividend in the order of priority elected by the applicant on the 30 application until the entire amount of the dividend that the applicant is entitled to 31 receive is allocated for contribution. The electronic dividend application form must
01 include notice that seven percent of the money contributed will be used for 02 administrative costs incurred in implementing this section, and money from the 03 dividend fund will not be used for that purpose. 04 * Sec. 3. AS 43.23.130(b) is amended to read: 05 (b) The department shall list each educational organization, community 06 foundation, or charitable organization eligible under (c) and (d) of this section, each 07 university campus that applies under (l) of this section, the public school reduced- 08 price meal fund, the crime victim compensation fund, and the peace officer and 09 firefighter survivors' fund on the contribution list. The department shall maintain an 10 electronic database for the contribution list that is accessible to the public and that 11 permits searches by organization or fund name, geographic location, and type. The 12 department shall provide a statement of the contributions made by an individual that is 13 suitable for federal income tax purposes to each individual who elects to contribute 14 under (a) of this section. 15 * Sec. 4. AS 43.23.130(m) is amended to read: 16 (m) In addition to the application fee in (f) of this section, the department shall 17 withhold a coordination fee from each organization, foundation, or university campus 18 that receives contributions under this section in the immediately preceding dividend 19 year. The coordination fee for an organization, foundation, or university campus that 20 receives contributions under this section shall be seven percent of the amount of 21 contributions reported by the department under (j) of this section for the organization, 22 foundation, or university campus for the immediately preceding dividend year. The 23 coordination fee shall be separately accounted for under AS 37.05.142 and shall be 24 accounted for separately from the application fee collected under (f) of this section. 25 The annual estimated balance in the account maintained under AS 37.05.142 for 26 coordination fees collected under this subsection may be appropriated for costs of 27 administering this section. The department may not withhold a coordination fee for 28 contributions to the public school reduced-price meal fund, the crime victim 29 compensation fund, or the peace officer and firefighter survivors' fund. 30 * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.