Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
3 HOUSE BILL 1605 By: Gise
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6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to schools; requiring certain federal
funds to be used to provide free school meals to
8 qualifying students; prohibiting schools from
charging qualifying students for reduced price meals;
9 allowing disbursement of funds in certain
circumstances; allowing schools to use other
10 authorized funds to provide free meals to qualifying
students in certain circumstances; requiring the
11 State Department of Education to report annually to
the Legislature; prescribing report requirements;
12 mandating an audit of child nutrition programs;
defining terms; providing for codification; providing
13 an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
17 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
18 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-119.2 of Title 70, unless
19 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
20 A. Federal funds appropriated to the Department of Education
21 for a child nutrition program shall be used to provide school
22 breakfasts and lunches at no cost to each qualifying student.
23 B. A public school that serves a school breakfast or a school
24 lunch as part of a child nutrition program shall not charge a
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1 qualifying student a reduced price copayment for a school breakfast
2 or a school lunch.
3 C. 1. If necessary to comply with the requirements of this
4 section, the Department shall provide funds that have been disbursed
5 to the Department from the federal government for purposes of
6 funding child nutrition programs to each public school that serves a
7 school breakfast or a school lunch as part of a child nutrition
8 program to cover the cost of eliminating reduced price copayments as
9 required by subparagraph B of this section.
10 2. If federal funds appropriated to the Department for a child
11 nutrition program are insufficient to provide a school breakfast or
12 a school lunch at no cost under paragraph 1 of this subsection, the
13 Department shall use funds as authorized by law to provide a school
14 breakfast or a school lunch not initially covered by federal funds
15 under subsection A of this section or other funds as authorized by
16 law.
17 D. Annually by November 15, the Department of Education shall
18 report on and provide to the Legislature an overview of each child
19 nutrition program offered in public schools. The report shall
20 include without limitation:
21 1. The procedure for applying for free or reduced price meals
22 in public schools; and
23 2. The number of students who:
24 a. apply for free or reduced price meals,
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1 b. are accepted to receive free or reduced price meals,
2 c. are denied from receiving free or reduced price meals,
3 and
4 d. automatically qualify for free or reduced price meals
5 based on federal eligibility requirements;
6 E. The Oklahoma Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency shall
7 audit the State Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs by
8 December 15, 2025, and report the audit findings to the Legislature.
9 The audit shall determine whether each public school's participation
10 in a child nutrition program effectively:
11 1. Serves the intent of the Legislature to expand students'
12 access to free meals in public schools; and
13 2. Complies with federal and state laws and rules.
14 F. As used in this section:
15 1. "Child nutrition program" includes the following as
16 established under the National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C., 1751 et
17 seq.:
18 a. the National School Lunch Program, or
19 b. the School Breakfast Program, and
20 2. "Qualifying student" means a kindergarten through grade
21 twelve (K-12) student enrolled in a public school who is eligible
22 for receipt of a reduced price meal in a child nutrition program.
23 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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1 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
2 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
3 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
4 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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6 60-1-11723 SW 01/11/25
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Req. No. 11723 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.