Committee advances two approaches to school-meal coverage; $65M one-time appropriation proposed

Legislative Management advanced competing bills that would change how North Dakota funds school meals.

Representative Mike Nathie proposed a statutory alternative to a pending ballot initiative, asking the legislature to enact the program in statute and start it next school year with a one-time $65,000,000 appropriation from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund (SIF). "This bill mimics the initiative measure that's been discussed out there right now," Nathie said, adding that putting the program into code preserves legislative flexibility if future revenue constraints require changes.

Representative Dressler offered an alternative plan that would raise the state-subsidized eligibility from 225% to 300% of the federal poverty level; he cited DPI estimates that at least 6,900–7,500 additional students would become eligible under that threshold change and warned of potential loss of some federal reimbursement dollars if program administration changed.

Representative Steve Vetter presented a narrower stop-gap: one FTE and outreach/assistance funding to increase enrollment among families already eligible under the current 225% threshold.

Committee members questioned funding sources, long-term obligations, the program’s start date and impact on small schools. Nathie said DPI provided the $65M figure and supporters of the ballot campaign were engaged and would cease signature-gathering if the statute passed. Representative LaFour moved to advance Nathie’s bill and the committee approved; the Dressler alternative was also forwarded so both statutory options will proceed to further committee consideration.

What happens next: both statutory proposals (Nathie and Dressler) and Vetter’s outreach bill will move through formal committee and appropriations review (if required), where fiscal notes and operational details will be developed.