Senate Bill S4562

                                BILL NUMBER:S4562

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to require public elementary or secondary
schools in cities having a population of one million or more persons
to provide breakfast for students qualifying for free breakfast in the
school classrooms or in a location directly adjacent to the classrooms
of such schools and to allow each student at the school to eat
breakfast in his or her homeroom classroom during the homeroom period

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section One of this bill states that notwithstanding any law, rule or
regulation to the contrary, every public elementary or secondary
school in a city having a population of one million or more persons,
shall provide breakfast for students qualifying, for free breakfast in
school classrooms or in a location directly adjacent to the classrooms
of such schools and allow each student at the school to eat breakfast
in his or her homeroom classroom during the homeroom period regardless
of whether or not the student is eligible for free breakfast.

EXISTING LAW:

New law.

JUSTIFICATION:

              

It is widely recognized that a healthy breakfast plays in vital role
in boosting student academic performance. Indeed, since 2003. New York
City has provided free breakfast to all public school students,
regardless of income, generally in their school cafeterias before the
school day begins. Since 2007, some City schools have offered free
breakfast in the classroom during the first period instead.
Nonetheless, thousands of low income New York City public school
students are missing out on that free, nutritious breakfast because it
is only available if they are able to arrive at school early and
consume the meal in the cafeteria. According to the nonprofit Food
Research and Action Center's report, "School Breakfast in America's
Big Cities: School Year 2010-2011," New York City was the least
effective of 23 urban school districts studied at reaching low-income
students with school breakfast. Only 33.9% of those eligible for free
or reduced-price lunch participated in the free breakfast program.

This Legislation would widen the reach of New York City's free
breakfast program by requiring the city's public elementary and
secondary schools to provide free breakfast in school classrooms or in
a location directly adjacent to them so that students may eat
breakfast at their desks during homeroom or first period.

Enacting such legislation would not put an undue burden on New York
City's budget. According to the same Food Research and Action Center
report, if 70% of those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch had
participated in the free breakfast program in 2010-11, New York City
would have received 550,954,409 in annual additional federal funds -
and 193,785 additional students would have been served breakfast each
school day.


In fact, all New York City public school principals currently have the
option to provide free breakfast in their classrooms. However, Mayor
Michael Bloomberg has declined to mandate that schools do so on the
grounds that providing free breakfast in the classroom might increase
childhood obesity. Many hunger and nutrition experts discount this
concern. Extending free school breakfast to classrooms is
enthusiastically supported by New York City Council Speaker Christine
Quinn and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Torn Vilsack among many others.
The New York Times Editorial. Board made the case for the policy in
its May 6, 2013 editorial, "How to Start a Good School Day." State
Legislative action is necessary to ensure that New York City
schoolchildren get the good start to their school day that they need
and deserve

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal

LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.