HRS §302A-404
Free school meals for students and no meal denial
Schools must provide meals where students are required to eat at school. Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, students who qualify for reduced-price meals get them free. Starting in 2026-2027, all students in department schools with family income up to 300% of the federal poverty level get free meals, regardless of federal program eligibility. No student can be denied a meal just for not paying.
parentsstate agencies
The statute, as written — School meals
(a) School meals shall be made available under the school meals program in every school where the students are required to eat meals at school. (b) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, students who qualify for reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program shall receive free school meals. (c) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, free school meals shall be provided to every student enrolled in a department school whose family income is not more than three hundred per cent of the federal poverty level, regardless of a student's eligibility for participation in the federal school meals program. (d) No student shall be denied a meal solely for failure to pay. (e) The department may adopt rules or policies governing the collection of funds for student meal accounts with a negative fund balance; provided that no rule or policy shall prohibit feeding a student or otherwise conflict with subsection (d). (f) It is the intent of this section not to jeopardize the receipt of any federal aid and, only to the extent necessary to effectuate this intent, the governor may modify strict provisions of this section, but shall promptly report any modification with the governor's reasons therefore to the next succeeding session of the legislature for review.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.