California Education Code

§ 49501.5

EDC § 49501.5 Effective Jan 1, 2026Div. 4 · Title 2 · Part 27 · Ch. 9 · Art. 8

Statute text

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, commencing with the 2022–23 school year all of the following shall apply:

(1)(A) (i) A school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, shall make available a nutritionally adequate breakfast and a nutritionally adequate lunch free of charge and with adequate time to eat, as determined by that school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school in consideration of the recommendations provided by the department pursuant to subdivision (e), during each schoolday to any pupil who requests a meal without consideration of the pupil’s eligibility for a federally funded free or reduced-price meal, except as described in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (B), with a maximum of one free breakfast meal and one free lunch meal, except for family daycare homes that shall be reimbursed for 75 percent of the meals served. The meals made available under this paragraph shall be nutritionally adequate meals that qualify for federal reimbursement. Participating school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools shall comply with federal regulations for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, which includes established mealtimes and shall comply with state requirements for meals served.

(ii)Meals served that do not meet federal requirements shall not be eligible for federal or state meal reimbursement.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 467, Sec. 6. (AB 1264) Effective January 1, 2026. Section conditionally operative as prescribed by its own provisions.