Amends TCA Section 8-11-110 and Title 49.

Present law provides that each school board must establish both a school breakfast and a school lunch program, but only to the extent federal funds are available for free or reduced-price meals, and pursuant to other limitations. This bill replaces this provision, providing, instead, that each local board of education and governing body of a public charter school must establish a school lunch program and a school breakfast program to provide a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in each school under the board's or body's jurisdiction, in accordance with rules recommended by the commissioner of education and adopted by state board of education.<br /> <br /> This bill further provides that the state must reimburse each LEA and public charter school the cost of providing a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in the LEA or public charter school after all federal funds available pursuant to the national school lunch program created by the National School Lunch Act, the school breakfast program created by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, or another federal program have been applied. In addition, this bill provides that the state may reimburse a public charter school for meals provided to students enrolled in the public charter school by direct payment to the public charter school or by making payment to the public charter school's LEA for distribution to the public charter school in accordance with the allocation of state and federal funds under the Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2002.<br /> <br /> RULES RECOMMENDED AND ADOPTED<br /> <br /> Present law requires the commissioner of education to recommend and the state board of education to adopt rules that, among other things, establish a uniform reporting system for the collection and compilation of data on the administration of this part, including a report on each individual school, regardless of its participation. This bill replaces this provision, providing, instead, that the commissioner recommend, and the state board adopt, rules that establish a uniform reporting system for the collection and compilation of data on the administration of this bill, including a report on each individual school.<br /> <br /> WAIVER REMOVED<br /> <br /> Present law also authorizes the local board to waive the requirements for establishing a school breakfast program for any individual school, if certain criteria are met. This bill removes this provision authorizing waiver of the school breakfast requirements for a school from the present law.<br />