§192.1. Meals; denial to students; procedures
A. If the governing authority of a public elementary school, for any reason, adopts
a policy of denying a scheduled meal to a child who is an elementary school student, it shall
implement the following procedures to provide for safeguards to the child's health and the
child's ability to learn:
(1) Prior to withholding a meal from the child, the school shall do each of the
following:
NOTE: Subparagraph (A)(1)(a) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 477.
(a) Provide actual notification to the child's parent or legal guardian as to the date
and time after which meals may be denied, the reason for such denial, any action that may
be taken by the parent or legal guardian to prevent further denial of meals, and the
consequences of the failure to take appropriate actions to prevent such denial, including that
the school governing authority shall contact the office of children and family services within
the Department of Children and Family Services upon the third instance of such denial
during a single school year as provided in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection.
NOTE: Subparagraph (A)(1)(a) eff. Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 477.
(a) Provide actual notification to the child's parent or legal guardian as to the date
and time after which meals may be denied, the reason for such denial, any action that may
be taken by the parent or legal guardian to prevent further denial of meals, and the
consequences of the failure to take appropriate actions to prevent such denial, including that
the school governing authority shall contact the office of child welfare, Department of
Children and Family Services upon the third instance of such denial during a single school
year as provided in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection.
(b) Verify with appropriate school staff that the child does not have an Individual
Education Plan that requires the child to receive meals provided by the school to ensure that
neither the child's health nor learning ability will be negatively affected by denying the child
meals during school hours.
(2) If the school denies a scheduled meal to a child, the school shall provide a
sandwich or a substantial and nutritious snack item to the child as a substitute for the meal
denied.
NOTE: Paragraph (A)(3) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 477.
(3) Upon the third instance during a single school year of the same elementary
school child being denied a meal during school hours, the school governing authority shall
contact the office of children and family services within the Department of Children and
Family Services to report the failure of the parent or guardian to pay for meals which has
resulted in repeated denials of meals during school hours.
NOTE: Paragraph (A)(3) eff. Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 477.
(3) Upon the third instance during a single school year of the same elementary
school child being denied a meal during school hours, the school governing authority shall
contact the office of child welfare, Department of Children and Family Services to report the
failure of the parent or guardian to pay for meals which has resulted in repeated denials of
meals during school hours.
B. If the governing authority of a public elementary school adopts a policy of
denying a scheduled meal to a child for the reason that the child's parent or guardian has
failed to pay for the meal, or owes a debt to the governing authority for previously furnished
meals, it shall implement additional procedures to ensure compliance with the
nondiscrimination provisions of R.S. 17:195(A).
C. If the governing authority of a public elementary school adopts a policy of
denying a scheduled meal to a child, the governing authority shall document each instance
that a child is denied a meal in the elementary school under its authority. Such
documentation shall be provided upon request to the state superintendent of education, the
secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, the House Committee on
Education, or the Senate Committee on Education.
D. No governing authority of a public elementary school shall implement a policy
that bans the use of charitable funds donated by school employees or the use of other
charitable funds to pay for a child's meal in the event that he is subject to the denial of a meal
during school hours.
Acts 2010, No. 737, §1; Acts 2010, No. 877, §3; Acts 2013, No. 329, §1; Acts 2025,
No. 477, §8, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.