HB 12

                                                                                      34-LS0187\O
                            CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 12(EDC)
                     IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
                     THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
 BY THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
 Offered: 4/13/26
 Referred: Finance
 Sponsor(s): REPRESENTATIVES DIBERT, Burke, Edgmon, Galvin, Himschoot
                                            A BILL
                                  FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
1  "An Act relating to reduced-price meals in public schools; establishing the public school
2  reduced-price meal fund; relating to contributions from permanent fund dividends; and
3  providing for an effective date."
4  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
5    * Section 1. AS 14.03 is amended by adding a new section to read:
6Sec. 14.03.128. Public school reduced-price meal fund. (a) A school district
7that participates in a national school meal program may not charge a fee for a reduced-
8price meal provided to a student who is eligible for the meal under the program.
9(b) The public school reduced-price meal fund is established as an account in
10the general fund. The fund consists of money appropriated to the fund by the
11legislature, including donations and interest earned on money in the fund.
12(c) The department shall distribute money in the fund to each school district
13that participates in a national school meal program in an amount equal to the cost the
14school district incurs through providing reduced-price meals to eligible students in a
 HB0012b  -1-  CSHB 12(EDC)
                         New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
                                                                                    34-LS0187\O
1fiscal year, minus the amount the school district receives from federal reimbursements
2or other state aid for providing reduced-price meals for that fiscal year. If insufficient
3funding is appropriated to the fund to fully compensate each school district for the cost
4of providing reduced-price meals under this section, the department shall distribute the
5funding pro rata to the school districts.
6(d)   The department may spend money appropriated to the fund for the
7purposes of the fund without further appropriation. Money in the fund does not lapse.
8(e) Nothing in this section creates a dedicated fund.
9(f) In this section,
10(1) "national school meal program" means a federal program for free
11or reduced-price meals under 42 U.S.C. 1751 - 1769j (National School Lunch Act) or
1242 U.S.C. 1771-1793 (Child Nutrition Act of 1966);
13(2) "reduced-price meal" means a meal that a school district provides
14at a reduced price under a national school meal program.
15  * Sec. 2. AS 43.23.130(a) is amended to read:
16(a) Notwithstanding AS 43.23.200, the Department of Revenue shall prepare
17the electronic Alaska permanent fund dividend application to allow an applicant who
18files electronically to direct that money be subtracted from the dividend payment and
19contributed to the public school reduced-price meal fund (AS 14.03.128), the crime
20victim compensation fund (AS 18.67.162), the peace officer and firefighter survivors'
21fund, or one or more of the educational organizations, community foundations, or
22charitable organizations that appear on the contribution list contained in the
23application. A contribution to the public school reduced-price meal fund, the crime
24victim compensation fund, the peace officer and firefighter survivors' fund, or [TO] an
25organization may be $25, $50, $75, $100, or more, in increments of $50, up to the
26total amount of the permanent fund dividend that the applicant is entitled to receive. If
27the total amount of contributions elected by an applicant exceeds the amount of the
28permanent fund dividend that the applicant is entitled to receive, contributions shall be
29deducted from the dividend in the order of priority elected by the applicant on the
30application until the entire amount of the dividend that the applicant is entitled to
31receive is allocated for contribution. The electronic dividend application form must
 CSHB 12(EDC)  -2-  HB0012b
                        New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
                                                                                     34-LS0187\O
1include notice that seven percent of the money contributed will be used for
2administrative costs incurred in implementing this section, and money from the
3dividend fund will not be used for that purpose.
4   * Sec. 3. AS 43.23.130(b) is amended to read:
5(b)   The department shall list each educational organization, community
6foundation, or charitable organization eligible under (c) and (d) of this section, each
7university campus that applies under (l) of this section, the public school reduced-
8price meal fund, the crime victim compensation fund, and the peace officer and
9firefighter survivors' fund on the contribution list. The department shall maintain an
10electronic database for the contribution list that is accessible to the public and that
11permits searches by organization or fund name, geographic location, and type. The
12department shall provide a statement of the contributions made by an individual that is
13suitable for federal income tax purposes to each individual who elects to contribute
14under (a) of this section.
15  * Sec. 4. AS 43.23.130(m) is amended to read:
16(m) In addition to the application fee in (f) of this section, the department shall
17withhold a coordination fee from each organization, foundation, or university campus
18that receives contributions under this section in the immediately preceding dividend
19year. The coordination fee for an organization, foundation, or university campus that
20receives contributions under this section shall be seven percent of the amount of
21contributions reported by the department under (j) of this section for the organization,
22foundation, or university campus for the immediately preceding dividend year. The
23coordination fee shall be separately accounted for under AS 37.05.142 and shall be
24accounted for separately from the application fee collected under (f) of this section.
25The annual estimated balance in the account maintained under AS 37.05.142 for
26coordination fees collected under this subsection may be appropriated for costs of
27administering this section. The department may not withhold a coordination fee for
28contributions to the public school reduced-price meal fund, the crime victim
29compensation fund, or the peace officer and firefighter survivors' fund.
30  * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.
 HB0012b  -3-  CSHB 12(EDC)
                        New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]