STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Sampson, Stanley and Kennedy
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to offer halal lunch options.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning school lunch options and supplementing chapter 33 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, “halal” means food prepared pursuant to and maintained in strict compliance with the laws and customs of the Islamic religion.
b. A school district that makes school lunch available pursuant to the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4) shall offer halal school lunch options as part of the daily school lunch menu. A school district’s halal school lunch options shall comply with the National School Lunch Program and all applicable State and federal nutritional mandates and food safety requirements.
c. The price of a halal school lunch option shall not exceed the price charged for a comparable, non-halal school lunch option.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires each public school district at which at least five percent of the students are federally eligible for free or reduced price meals to offer halal school lunch options. As defined in the bill, "halal" means food prepared pursuant to and maintained in strict compliance with the laws and customs of the Islamic religion.
Under the bill, a school district’s halal option is required to comply with the National School Lunch Program and all applicable State and federal nutritional mandates and food safety requirements. Additionally, the bill stipulates that the price of a halal lunch option is not to exceed the price of a comparable, non-halal school lunch option.