Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblyman JAMEL C. HOLLEY
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblyman TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Coughlin
SYNOPSIS
Directs DOE to establish online applications for National School Lunch Program and school breakfast programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning online applications for the National School Lunch Program and school breakfast programs, amending P.L.2003, c.4, and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-11) is amended to read as follows:
3. In implementing a school breakfast program [this act] under P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-9 et seq.), a school district shall:
a. publicize the availability of the school breakfast program to parents and students;
b. make every effort to make available the Internet-based application developed by the Department of Education for school meal applications pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the legislature as this bill);
c. make every effort to ensure that income-eligible students are not recognized as program participants by the student body, faculty, or staff in a manner distinct from student participants who are not income-eligible. Such efforts shall include, but not be limited to, the establishment of a meal plan or voucher system under which students receiving subsidized breakfasts are not distinguished from students receiving non-subsidized breakfasts; and
[c.] d. make every effort to encourage students who are not income-eligible to participate in the program.
(cf: P.L.2003, c.4, s.3)
2. (New section) a. The Department of Education shall develop and make available to each school district and nonprofit nonpublic school participating in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program, an Internet-based school meal application.
b. A school district or nonprofit nonpublic school participating in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program may implement the Internet-based school meal application developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section. If a school district or nonprofit nonpublic school implements the Internet-based school meal application, it shall also continue to make available paper applications for enrollment in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program.
c. If a school district or nonprofit nonpublic school currently provides an Internet-based school meal application for enrollment in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast
program, the school district or nonprofit nonpublic school shall have one year from dates of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this act) to switch to the Internet-based school meal application developed by the Department of Education.
d. As used in this section, “school meal application” means an Internet-based application designed for the online enrollment of eligible students in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Department of Education to develop and make available to each school district and nonprofit nonpublic school participating in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program, an Internet-based online school meal application for eligible students to participate in these programs. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program or in a school breakfast program would be encouraged to make the online school meal application available. A participating school district or nonprofit nonpublic school that implements the online school meal application would also be required to continue to make available paper applications.
The bill would save participating school districts and nonprofit nonpublic schools money and time and increase efficiency by eliminating the manual entry of student information from thousands of paper applications. In addition, by making the application process more streamlined, parents or guardians are more likely to fill out the application in a timely manner. Finally, with the privacy of online applications, more eligible students may apply to the programs as a result.