S.B. 180 School Nutrition Amendments

What this bill does

The bill would make kindergarten through sixth grade students from families earning 185% to 200% of the federal poverty level eligible for free school meals. It would let school districts use 5% of their share of liquor tax revenue for these meals, draw on a one-time $5 million account, and report on the program.

Plain-English summary written by AI from the sponsor’s presentation in committee and on the floor. Check the official text below.

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Every vote

• 4 yes, 0 no, 3 absentSenate Education Committee: vote to change the bill · Feb 12, 2026Who voted how
• 4 yes, 0 no, 3 absentSenate Education Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 12, 2026Who voted how
• 22 yes, 2 no, 5 absentFirst of two Senate votes · Feb 24, 2026Who voted how
• 18 yes, 0 no, 11 absentFinal Senate vote · Feb 26, 2026Who voted how
• 8 yes, 1 no, 6 absentHouse Education Committee: vote, which it did not pass · Mar 3, 2026Who voted how
• 3 yes, 6 no, 6 absentHouse Education Committee: House vote, which failed · Mar 3, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Feb 12, 2026 Senate Education Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (18 turns)

  1. Committee chair1:12:16

     Okay. Uh, next item on the agenda, SB 180, uh, school Nutrition Amendment. Senator Escamilla.

  2. Sen. Luz Escamilla1:12:27

     Good morning, Mr. Chair. Thank you for and committee for the opportunity to present on SB um, 180, correct? Is that, which one is first? Sorry, I have two with That. SB 180. Perfect. Thank you. Thanks, Mr. Chair. Um, and I, I do have a substitute, but if I, I'll just include it in part of my presentation, if that's okay, Mr.

  3. Committee chair1:12:46

     We could go ahead and move that substitute if, like Yeah, that would be appropriate. Anyone, uh, like to do that? Go ahead, Senator Hinkins.

  4. Sen. David P. Hinkins1:12:56

     Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would make a motion that we delete title and body Senate Bill 180 and replace it with first substitute Senate bill 180. Okay. So the motion is to, uh, delete title and body s sp 180 and replace it with first substitute SB 180 School Nutrition Amendments.

  5. Committee chair1:13:15

     With a favor. Well, not, not yet. So, uh, all in favor of that motion? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Uh, chair rules? That is unanimous to the substitute Bill, go ahead.

  6. Sen. Luz Escamilla1:13:30

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was here, um, last year in your committee, and you guys were very gracious to listen to my presentation on, um, all kiddos access to school nutrition meals. And as you all remember, we had a really robust conversation of just a complexity of covering all children. K 12. Um, we discussed, um, $53 million cost. And I, I, I recognize that's a, a big lift. The chairman was very kind to say, maybe let's think about incremental steps. Let's go back to very, very, where the needs are. And, um, this is what SB first substitute SB 180 does. It really narrows to, um, the eligibility of just children kindergarten to sixth grade and, um, family income between 180 5 to 200% of poverty level. And I just wanna get you guys a perspective of what it means to be within 200% of the poverty level in a family of four that is $64,300 a year. So again, this is for families that make less than $64,300 a year for a family of four, so their kiddos can have access to food. I, um, yesterday, 2 1 1 provided us, all of us in our, in our desks, um, some information regarding, um, 2 1 1, and understanding the needs of your district. If you get a chance to actually, um, go into their, um, you know, this, um, the dashboard that they have, 10% of our state, um, ranks foods insecurity as their number one issue that they're facing 10%. And that looks bigger when it comes to kiddos. So I, um, what I try to do with this bill is being a little bit creative of how we pay for that group of kids. Again, this is K six grade 105, 185% to 200%. And what we do is we, uh, currently, as you all are aware, we use 10% of our liquor markup goes to the Uniform School Fund, and it gets distributed among schools. What I'm asking the school districts is to use, um, a five per up to 5% of that, um, funds to cover this new group of kids. And then the rest will come from, um, uh, the public education stabilization, restricted account, up to 5 million of those of, of dollars into that account. We have hundreds of millions of dollars in there. I think 5 million to invest on our children's ability to learn and to be able to not suffer. Hunger is a good investment. And so that's really what the bill does. Mr. Chair, I, I do wanna just add that as we're ready to invest potentially hundreds more plus hundred of millions of dollars in our, our reading, um, preparation for kids reading by third grade, which I think is a great investment that we all are supporting, that it's really hard to learn when you're hungry and you can have the best teachers, educators, and specialists. If you're hungry, that's just gonna make it really hard. So, I, this is what this bill does. And again, it's only for that, the group of K to six creators that are between 185% and to a hundred percent of the federal poverty level. And with that, I'm open for questions, Mr. Chair.

  7. Committee chair1:16:47

     Thank you. Does that conclude your presentation? That

  8. Sen. Luz Escamilla1:16:50

     Concludes my presentation.

  9. Committee chair1:16:51

     Let, let's come back to the committee for discussion. Clarifying questions. Seeing none. We're gonna go to members of the audience. Anyone here care to speak to this? Please state your name for the record, sign in and tell us who you represent.

  10. Neil Rickard, Utahns Against Hunger1:17:14

      My name is, uh, Neil Rickard. I'm the Child Nutrition Advocate for Utahans Against Hunger. I just want to applaud Senator Escamilla for taking the effort to address, uh, access to school meals. This, uh, threshold of 200% of the federal poverty level is one that we know that there is need in. We see increased demand on food pantries around the state, and people who are in this income category, increasingly over the last couple of years. And we know that, uh, kids, uh, young kids are the ones for whom the impact of, uh, nutrition interventions are most impactful, both developing the focus concentration you need to succeed in school and in improving long-term health outcomes just across the course of their lives. So we're very much in support of, uh, increasing meal access for these kids.

  11. Committee chair1:18:01

      Very good. Thank you. Any other comments come forward? State your name for the record, and go ahead.

  12. Tamra Watson, Utah Association of Public Charter Schools1:18:12

      Hello, I am Tamara Watson. I'm with the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, and we would just like to thank Senator Escamilla for her work on this bill, um, from charter schools. Uh, she has several of these in her district, and we also recognize that these schools are becoming community hubs. And with those hubs, we're seeing an increased demand for food pantries. And they, they're literally becoming, uh, having assistance or, or giving much needed assistance, not only in her district, but in others. And so we see that need, all of us as consumers, we're filling that tightness of inflation and food costs. And so this is just a step in trying to, to meet needs and community needs, because we all need food. And that brings us together. So we just want to voice our support for this bill. And thank, uh, Senator Esia for her assistance.

  13. Committee chair1:19:07

      Any other comments? Are there any online? Okay. We're gonna come back to the Committee for Action and clarifying, you know, uh, discussion. Uh, Senator Hankins? Uh,

  14. Sen. David P. Hinkins1:19:26

      Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman, I would like to make a motion that we pass out, uh, first substitute Senate Bill 180 with the favorable recommendation. Okay. So the, uh, motion is to send out SB 180 School Nutrition Amendments, uh, with the favorable recommendation.

  15. Committee chair1:19:47

      Any discussion to that motion? Seeing none. We're gonna come back to Senator Escamilla. Wait

  16. Sen. Luz Escamilla1:20:00

      Summation, Mr. Chair?

  17. Committee chair1:20:01

      I'll wait. Okay. So, the motion is to send SB 180 School Nutrition Amendments. First substitute. First substitute, uh, with a favorable recommendation. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Uh, the chair rules. That is unanimous.

  18. Unknown speaker1:20:19speaker not certain

      Thank you, Mr. Chair. Senator Bald baldry. Did you, did you vote? I did. Okay. Thank you very much. Thanks. Okay.

• Feb 24, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (6 turns)

  1. Sen. Luz Escamilla1:27:28

     Um, first substitute expands free lunch, uh, for school for low income kiddos moving from one 85% to 200%, but it's very narrow to just kids in kindergarten to sixth grade. And what we're doing with this bill, Mr. Um, president is again, you know, it's for them, for the schools to use up to 5% of their current funds to pay the cost of the school meals and opens a new, um, area of funding to cover by providing $5 million into a, an account for the extra, um, school meal program. This will come again. The first portion will be obviously from the Li Liquor revenue describing subsection 53 F dash two dash 4 2 3. And then the extra five millions will be from, um, from, uh, our, our funds. And they, um, the goal is that we can have more kids be able to access food again, kindergarten to sixth graders. There's also a piece of actually getting more information on how our school meals are being funded and how it's being allocated to schools. This is, it's just an interesting, um, process of learning how we can be more proactive and helping them. Just to be clear, the extra $5 million will be an ongoing appropriation and it's from the public education civilization restricted account. And again, we do have a, an amendment Mr. Uh, president that clarifies that they first are gonna use up to 5% of their current funds. And then from there, if it's insufficient, they will move into the $5 million new, um, funding piece. And that is, uh, amendment One, which, uh, hopefully you get to make that motion to move that amendment under. My name. Mr. President.

  2. Senate President (presiding)1:29:19

     Motion to Demand is in order. Uh, it looks like we have Amendment One online. I don't, uh, see discussion on it. I'm gonna go ahead and place it. The motion is Amendment one. And Senator Esca me's name All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Rule it. Motion passes. The bill is amended. Senator,

  3. Sen. Luz Escamilla1:29:38

     Um, that concludes my presentation, Mr. President. I'm happy to answer any questions.

  4. Senate President (presiding)1:29:41

     Thank you. Looking for further discussion? Say none. I'm gonna go to you for summation.

  5. Sen. Luz Escamilla1:29:49

     Um, I waived summation and call the question.

  6. Senate President (presiding)1:29:51

     The question is, shall first substitute Senate Bill 180? Be read a third time. Roll call vote. Senator Vickers Spery a Lewin Brammer bus Comore Escamia Aye. Fillmore Grover Harper Kinins Aye. Ipson Aye. Johnson. Aye. Juab McKay Mikel Wilner Musselman Owens Pitcher Plum Rebe Sandal Stevenson Stratton Vickers. Weiler Aye. Wilson Aye. Winterton President Adams Aye. First substitute Senate Bill 180, having received 22 yay votes, two nay votes, five being absent shall be read a third time.

• Feb 25, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (14 turns)

  1. Sen. Luz Escamilla37:33

     within the one 85% to 200% of federal, federal poverty level. And it's only for kindergarten to sixth graders. Um, this is just asking them to work within their current, uh, funds that they get and then, um, adds a, a portion in a new, um, account. We've been doing this for, for, uh, we, there's been efforts to do this and we are working with the house, um, sponsor as well. And it's just, you know, kids that are not hungry will learn better. And as we continue to invest in our grade education system, um, this is just an opportunity to make sure, uh, food is insecurities is not what keeps them from learning and thriving. With that, I'm open for any questions.

  2. Unknown speaker38:16speaker not certain

     Mr. President Pro temp, Uh, question for you. Uh, can you go over the fiscal note? I understood from your presentation this expands eligibility for school lunch, but the fiscal note seems to only have programming costs.

  3. Sen. Luz Escamilla38:30

     Um, yep. To, for changes to data collection, does this mean that there will be no additional spending on lunches? No, It will be from the, um, education restricted stabilization restricted account where the funds will come From the state liquor tax.

  4. Unknown speaker38:45speaker not certain

     Mm-hmm. Does that leave less liquor tax money for something else? I'm sorry, that Leaves less liquor tax money for something else.

  5. Sen. Luz Escamilla38:53

     No. Um, good question. So it doesn't change the current 10% that comes from the, um, dasp, which is the liquor tax that still continues the same. It's actually asking the LEAs to utilize 5% to begin with, of those funds to start, um, addressing the meals for kiddos between 185% to 200%. But after they run out of that money, then it comes, they can then tap into the new account of the $5 million of the stabilization account. And

  6. Unknown speaker39:24speaker not certain

     I, that's the part, I don't see that $5 million on the fiscal note.

  7. Sen. Luz Escamilla39:29

     I am Sorry. Let's, I'm gonna circle that Bill. We just, I was with LFA so it may not not be reflected. Can I circle that bill?

  8. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)39:39

     Yes. Okay. We have a motion. You move. Go ahead.

  9. Unknown speaker39:42speaker not certain

     Yes. Motion to circle.

  10. Unknown speaker39:43speaker not certain

      I apologize for that Inconvenience. No Problem. We have a motion to circle.

  11. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)39:46

      All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. That motion passes. The bill is circled.

  12. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)39:57

      Second substitute Senate bill 180 1 Second substitute Senate bill 180 1 School Discipline Amendments.

  13. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)40:03

      Senator Escamilla. Senator Escamilla.

  14. Sen. Luz Escamilla40:07

      Thank you Mr. President Prote. I am not running away. I'm here. And, um, this is, um, continuation from our seclusion rooms, um, process. We now have, as you know, you all participated very proactively Thank you last year

• Feb 26, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (8 turns)

  1. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)45:07

     All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. The bill is Uncircled. Senator Escamilla.

  2. Sen. Luz Escamilla45:17

     Thank you Mr. Um, president Prote. This bill again, uh, creates a more children accessing, uh, meals at school kindergarten to sixth graders. Um, one 85% to 200% of poverty level. And what we do is, um, we're asking to work within a 5% of what the current revenue, um, is of them, which comes from alcohol tax and then creates a fund of $5 million for the other kiddos, um, in that group, in that category. Just to be ready. If they need extra funds, they can apply for those and that those $5 million are one time from um, public education economic stabilization restricted account. Mr. President Prote. That is what was not available yesterday, which now we have in that fiscal note. And with that, I'm open for questions.

  3. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)46:12

     Alright. Does seeing there are discussion to this bill? Seeing none. Senator Escamilla will Summation and call the question And the question is, shall first substitute Senate bill 180 pass Roll call vote.

  4. Senate clerk46:31

     Senator Vickers Baldry Aye. Lewin Aye. Brammer bus? Aye. Comore es. Camilla Aye. Fillmore Aye. Grover Harper Hankins. Ipson Aye. Johnson Wan Aye. McKay Aye. Mikel Milner Musselman Owens pitcher Plum Aye. Rebe Aye. Sandal Stevenson Stratton Aye. Bickers Weiler Aye. Wilson A Winterton Johnson Aye. President Adams

  5. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)47:23

     First substitute Senate Bill 180 having received 18 yay votes zero. Nay 11 being absent passes and will be sent to the house for their consideration. Uh, anybody else wanting to unc encircle on third? We don't actually have a quorum, uh, present as that I can tell. So before taking another motion, we're gonna wait to have other people walk on 12. I count only 12 on the floor. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9. Thank you. Senator Musselman. We're up to 13 Juab. Maybe it's 14. Okay, I count 15 now. Go ahead. You have a motion. Senator Plumb.

  6. Sen. Jen Plumb48:38

     Thank you Mr. President ProAm. Um, I have a bill I would like to encircle, please. Senate bill one 70 Sub three. Uh, the motion is to encircle third substitute Senate Bill one 70 Vitamin K Amendments.

  7. Senate President Pro Tempore (presiding)48:54

     All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. The bill is uncircled.

  8. Unknown speaker49:00speaker not certain

     If you'll recall me doing a long rambling presentation

• Mar 3, 2026 House Education Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (33 turns)

  1. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)37:45

     A motion carries unanimously, uh, to the members of the public that are here and to the, and to the house members. We're going to try and, uh, stay on schedule, but we recognize we have, uh, some Senator Vickers, uh, that may need to be moving around. So we're gonna, we'll, we'll move in the order that we can get them. Uh, that being the case, we're gonna start with, uh, Senate Bill 180 for substitute school nutrition amendments. Uh, Senator Escamilla, welcome.

  2. Sen. Luz Escamilla38:20

     I apologize. Your mic is now on. Time Is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee, and thank you for the time. Um, so as SB first substitute, SB 180 180, sorry, I have 180 1 too, so I apologize. 180 School Nutrition Amendments is, I think it's a continuation of our ongoing conversation of what are we doing to, um, address the issue of hunger and food insecurity amongst our kiddos. And, um, this bill does one thing. It moves the, um, who children will be covered from one 85% of the poverty level to 200%. Um, we currently are at 180 5 only for kindergarten to sixth grade. And the way we we do this is through different ways. One's we're asking for, uh, in the current funding mechanism, which is the 10% of the liquor markup that goes to the Uniform School Fund, that supplements, LEAs, cost for providing school meals, that 5% of that be used for this new group of people, which is not a lot, if you think about it. So the rest will come from a $5 million, um, appropriation that is a restricted account for this. It, um, it also has some components of reporting, because I don't know how many of you have engaged in trying to understand the cost of school meals and how schools do it. Uh, we don't have a lot of information, and we're working with USB to try to get better understanding of how every LEA does it differently, which is fine. Local control is important, but we're saying if we are gonna be investing and we wanna invest in our kids, that we do it through a lot of more information and transparency. So there is a reporting mechanism to help us understand better that piece. Um, we don't, um, if you are LEAs already offering, um, a, a, you know, across your school district free meals, this will not be applying to them. So there are school districts and charter schools that may already be doing this. We will not be, um, you know, working or tampering to what they're doing. This is for the ones that may have a, still a population of their children that are below the 200% of poverty level. Just so you get an idea, it's about $64,000 a year for a family of four. And, um, and that's, that's basically the, the bill. It has gone through, you know, from the original bill to where we are. And it does have a, a big, uh, piece, and I know the House and the Senate had for the last couple of years done investment on food for children at school. We are about to do, I think, um, I think, you know, we, at least the Senate already passed legislation on early literacy. Um, kids that are hungry are not gonna learn. It's gonna make it really hard. So, you know, this is a very unique way of just having a, a high return on investment by making sure children are not hungry. This may be the only nutritious meal of the day for many of these children. And without Mr. Chair, I'm open for questions.

  3. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)41:33

     All right. Thank you, Senator. There are questions for members of the committee. All right. Seeing none, we're gonna go to the public for public comment or the members of the public here to speak to this. I one, please come up, uh, tell us your name, make sure you, uh, tell us who you represent, if any, please sign in.

  4. Neil Rickard, Utahns Against Hunger41:54

     Uh, my name. Oh, I, I apologize. Your microphone is now on. Uh, my name is Neil Rickard. I'm the Child Nutrition advocate for Utahans Against Hunger. And I just want to speak out in support of Senator Esca me's work on this issue. We do know that this band of students is still very much affected by increased costs of living, et cetera. We, we know that there are increased demands on food banks and food pantries, and the people showing most increased demand are people who normally would've been thought as, uh, in this sort of middle income band that is increasingly pressed by housing costs, by medical costs, et cetera. And accessing, uh, appropriate food at this age is especially important for kids so that they develop not just, uh, academically, but emotionally and mature and develop character during these formative years. We're very much in, in support of these efforts to expand access to meals this way. Thank you. Uh, seeing no others.

  5. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)42:49

     Do we have anybody online? Nope. All right. Seeing none online, uh, we're gonna go to the committee for, uh, action items. I'm gonna representative er Thank you, Mr. Chair. I motion to hold. All right. That motion is an order.

  6. Rep. Tiara Auxier43:03

     Would you like to speak to that motion? Yeah, I would. You know, I really appreciate the thought of this. And like was said earlier, the last couple years we've been really making an effort to look into getting more funding for school lunch. And, you know, last year there was a $5 million ask this year, a $7 million ask to make it so that, um, families who are in that 130 to 185, um, of percent of poverty, not only would res um, get that reduced price, but actually get it for free. And so, you know, asking to then extend that to 200 i, I think is, um, not just saying, Hey, you'll be able to get this for reduced, but then putting it on, on taxpayers to pay for that for free lunch as well, because of the way that we've made these decisions. So,

  7. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)43:56

     Alright. Thank you. We're gonna go to Representative Hayes.

  8. Rep. Sahara Hayes44:00

     Thank you, Mr. All right. I, I apologize to the sponsor on the motion to hold. Um, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know this, or, you know, the last week, I would just say this is the policy question, and I think the representative nailed down the policy question, and that is what children should have access to, to this nutritious meal at a free cost. And so that is the question. And the policy says in the bill that it should be for families that are making $60,000 or less for a family of four. And if we look at the cost of living and that right now, um, one out of 10 families in Utah facing food insecurity, I think it's a, it's a $5 million worthwhile investment for our families and our children. Now we'll ask for reconsidering, reconsidering that, that motion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

  9. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)44:52

     Thank you. We're gonna go to Representative Hayes. Sorry, I was outta order there. So go ahead, Representative Hayes.

  10. Rep. Sahara Hayes44:59

      Uh, thank you. Um, and may I reserve the right to make a motion?

  11. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)45:03

      Uh, you can question, but your motions that you can make are limited. So just be, they're limited to a substitute or an amendment. Can I make a substitute motion then that we favorably recommend and speak to it? So you may make that motion and yes. You, and, and yes, that would be an order.

  12. Rep. Sahara Hayes45:18

      So is that your motion to It is a substitute

  13. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)45:20

      motion to favorably recommend. All right. That motion is an order. Go ahead.

  14. Rep. Sahara Hayes45:23

      Thank you. I think that, um, keeping people fed is, that's the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy, right? This is a basic level need. And when I think about the purpose of government, I think it is largely to fill needs that you cannot survive without. And food is a thing that you cannot survive without. And so I think anything, I mean, we recently saw when there was the government shutdown, just what a huge strain that put on food banks and things like that. People are dependent on feeding, and this is kids. I think we need to be, I, I, I can see nothing wrong with putting funding towards feeding kids.

  15. Rep. Sahara Hayes46:04

      Um, and I do have a question for the sponsor, if that's okay. Do you know where this is at in the funding process?

  16. Sen. Luz Escamilla46:10

      It's in the Senate. As a Senate minority leader, we get to negotiate this pieces, but it will be a Senate funded bill. So it depends on how it goes here in the house clearly.

  17. Rep. Sahara Hayes46:21

      Okay. So I think we should maybe not worry so much about the funding piece since it sounds like that's something that the Senator Cullimore is still negotiating on. And if it doesn't get funded, we don't have to worry about it. Um, and maybe focus on the policy, which again is about feeding kids. Thank

  18. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)46:37

      You. Alright, thank you. If your light is on, it's to speak to the motion to recommend favor. The substitute motion to recommend favorably. Yes.

  19. Rep. Tiara Auxier46:45

      I need to go back to the underlying motion. Thank you, uh, to representative er on the motion to recommend favorably. Um, yeah, I, I can appreciate the compassion here, but I think if we look at, um, it's already been decided what percent of poverty line it should be at to be able to be funded for the people who need that. And clearly we would be making a decision that we want to go above that, what's already recommended. And, um, based on, on that, I, I don't think that this is the proper role of government to be expanding this.

  20. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)47:21

      Alright, thank you. So if your light is honest to speak to the motion to recommend favorably, I'm gonna go to representative, uh, Millard.

  21. Rep. Tracy Miller47:29

      Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I, um, so right now, um, we are, we are providing lunch up to 185% of the poverty level. And this will take us the, the students between 185% and 200%, which, which I agree this is something that we need to look at and I, I think is worthy of looking at, I'm questioning the funding source though, because USBE receives, um, 10% of the liquor tax now to go to child nutrition. And in one district that I talked to, that's what they're using to keep meal prices low. I mean, it's $2 for, for lunch for elementary, and they're getting, and 75 cents is coming from alcohol tax for that. So if they were to lose the alcohol tax, all the other meals are gonna have to go up in order to pay for that. So then I think, okay, so this'll help the kids at 200 below 200% poverty level, but is it gonna raise the prices for kids at 201% poverty level now because we're taking money that's already in nutrition, keeping prices low and giving it to this group of students. So that is my hesitation with this bill.

  22. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)48:38

      Alright, thank you. We're gonna go to Representative mc, uh, we're gonna go to Representative MacPherson.

  23. Rep. Matt MacPherson48:44

      Thank you, Mr. Chair. My, my questions really come and, and it's really just a concern over the fiscal impact on this. So it looks like the first year, and I actually AP applaud you for the creativity and funding on this. I know this has been an item that you've tried to, uh, funding for, for some time. And, uh, I too have worked on trying to fund for certain things and trying to find creative way to do things. But this moves, um, looks like one time money from uniform school funds, um, this year and the next year from the stabilization account, 5 million and then ongoing would require, um, uh, funding essentially. And so I guess my concern here is, is mostly is we're not really, this isn't a question of whether or not we're funding a new item. We're transferring money from the Uniform School Fund, which is the minimum school program. These are, these are things that are not typically funding meals or education schools. So my concern is, is what, what are we taking from in order to fund this now? And has been my, my long standing stance on some of the, the school lunch, um, uh, free and reduced lunch programs is that, um, a lot of the data shows that a big portion of that, of that food just doesn't end up getting eaten. And my concern is, is that we're spending potentially millions of dollars, um, where at least a million, if not two of it might end up being thrown away every year. Um, and I just wanna make sure that if we, if we are redirecting funding, that we're also solving the issue of, of what gets eaten and what doesn't. Um, and I think transferring the money from one account to another may not be in this circumstance the best, um, way of doing it, even though I think it's very creative.

  24. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)50:32

      Alright, thank you. Uh, we're gonna go back to the sponsor to sum thank you on the motion to recommend favorably.

  25. Sen. Luz Escamilla50:38

      Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now take a minute to answer some of the comments because I wanna make sure it's very clear. So first, the current funding up to one 85%, it's just a one time. So just to be clear, and it was an RFA actually this year by Representative Clancy to, and they gave them 2.5. So we will not be funding what I think was stated as a current policy of the threshold, um, in it, in its completion, just to be clear. Um, and then to the second comment about the 5%. So the 10% that we get, it doesn't, so it's all on the sales revenue that, um, DASP collects from liquor sales and that fluctuates, right? Some people may consume more alcohol one year than the other. And as we grow, I think it's gonna be more so that, um, 10% is growing and they're getting always a 10%, and that's distributed to LEAs for them to utilize at their leisure, truly, which I think it's appropriate because it looks different for school district in the Valley than it is in rural Utah. And my ask was a 5% to be to try to disseminate those extra 5%, which by the way, aligned with our 5% exercise of the budget cut. That's where the 5% came. So I wanna explain why those numbers are there. So I appreciate that comment. So I don't necessarily a hundred percent agree that now you're gonna be having that impact. I think it will have to be a distribution of how those funds are being spent on the question by the good representative from West Valley, that 5% and the way we're distributing the funds right now is not very clear. And that's something that I think we need to do as a legislature to get better transparency on how school districts are, you know, processing this school meal exercise. Because at the end of the day, I do believe that as we're about to spend $30 million on a lot of things related to education, including literacy, if a kid is struggling with hunger, it won't matter. If you have the best teachers and specialists, it will be really hard for a child to concentrate when you're hungry. So I, part of the reporting PI piece on this bill is that we will get a better understanding now, again, if your school district or a school district is already doing a process where they don't, will not require those, they will not even participate. I mean, many of, for example, Salt Lake School District already does this, it it will not impact Salt Lake School District, which is one of my districts as an example, right? But I, I just wanna make sure that as we get creative, and, and I appreciate the comment from the representative, it is hard, and it could have been the general fund, right? We do have the ability to say how those funds are being distributed. I still think it is within our purview to say where we wanna invest. And I will just ask that you guys, you as a committee and as representatives will consider this as an investment. It is a hundred percent policy question on the threshold, which in this bill we'll move it to 200%. But right now, as is with what is currently in the budget, we are not gonna be fulfilling the commitment of the 185%, just so we are all clear because they're only allocating 2.5, not the $7 million that were asked. So this actually will all combine them. The 5 million will bring, bring all of them back in and actually at a minimum, fulfill the ones, um, that we already said we were gonna fund, which at this point, they're not funded completely. So thank you for that opportunity, Mr. Chair.

  26. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)54:26

      Thank you. Back to you, Representative Hayes.

  27. Rep. Sahara Hayes54:29

      Thank you. I think the sponsor summed it well. I really fast, um, on the comment about food being thrown away. I think that the committee's already actually done some work in that area with the, um, that having to sit down for school lunch. Um, representative Voxer has lu out on this, and I see that maybe it didn't go as well in the Senate, but I'm hoping we can keep doing that next year so that it's kind of a holistic thing, right? And we're working on the full web, and I think that this is a piece of the web, so I hope that we favorably recommend it.

  28. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)54:54

      Thank you. And to the under maker, the underlying motion representative, er,

  29. Rep. Tiara Auxier54:58speaker not certain

      I'll waive. Thank you.

  30. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)54:59

      Thank you. The motion for is to recommend Favorably House, uh, sorry, Senate Bill 180 for substitute school nutrition amendments. We're gonna go a roll call vote. Tisha Representatives. Er, Lyon. No. Hayes? Yes. McPherson? No. Millard? No. Corinne Peterson? No. Vice Chair Defay? Yes. Chair Walter? No. And I gotta get Representative Thompson. Sorry. You walked in right at the right time? Yes. Okay. We had a yes there. So that motion fails three to six with, uh, Representative Defay Thompson and Hayes as a Yes.

  31. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)55:53

      Thank you. Chair and committee. Thank you. Thank you. We're back to the underlying motion. Just a moment. Just, just a moment. We're back to the underlying motion Representative er, um, uh, any further discussion to the underlying motion? The underlying motion was to hold, uh, representative, uh, sorry. Uh, Senator Escamilla, would you like to, uh,

  32. Sen. Luz Escamilla56:13speaker not certain

      Wait. Summation, Mr. Chair? Thank you,

  33. Committee chair (Rep. R. Neil Walter)56:15

      Senator. Uh, representative, uh, er waive as well. All right. Um, we're gonna place the motion to hold SB one 81st, substitute School Nutrition amendments. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? No. So that passes with Representative Hayes a No, I know. What's the vote on that? What does that give us? One eight to one. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Senator.