School boards; establishes several requirements relating to school meals. (HB1477)
Introduced By
Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) with support from co-patron Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-Leesburg)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
School boards; school meals; practices. Establishes several requirements relating to school meals, including requiring each school board to (i) require each public elementary and secondary school in the local school division to participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to make meals available pursuant to such programs to any student who requests such a meal, regardless of such student's family income or whether such student has the money to pay for the meal or owes money for meals previously provided, unless the student's parent has provided written permission to the school board to withhold such a meal from the student, and (ii) adopt policies prohibiting any school employee from (a) requiring a student to throw away a meal after the meal has been served because the student does not have the money to pay for the meal or owes money for a meal previously provided and (b) requiring a student who does not have the money to pay for a meal or who owes money for a meal previously provided to do chores or other work to pay for the meal. Read the Bill »
Outcome
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 01/17/2018 | Presented and ordered printed 18104912D |
| 01/17/2018 | Referred to Committee on Education |
| 01/26/2018 | Assigned Education sub: Subcommittee #1 |
| 01/31/2018 | Impact statement from DPB (HB1477) |
| 02/05/2018 | Subcommittee failed to recommend reporting (3-Y 5-N) |
| 02/13/2018 | Left in Education |
Comments
When I was in the Fifth Grade in a rural town, a fellow classmate with disabilities was required to wash dishes in the kitchen to "pay" for his lunch because his parents could not afford to pay for his meals. As a child, I understood that the adults in the system were segregating this little boy with mental retardation. It felt cruel and heartless to me.
I do not understand the concept of punishing or shaming children for their parents' shortcomings. In fact, I think it is a prescription for very negative social-emotional development.