BILL NO. 342
(as introduced)
1st Session, 64th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
2 Charles III, 2023
Private Member's Bill
Universal School Food Program Act
Claudia Chender
Dartmouth South
First Reading: October 17, 2023
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act to Establish
a Universal School Food Program
WHEREAS Canada is the only G7 country that does not have a national school food program;
AND WHEREAS Nova Scotia has some of the highest rates of child poverty and food insecurity nationwide;
AND WHEREAS the Healthy Eating in Schools 2022 Report of the Auditor General found that, without school-provided food, some children would not eat for the entire day;
THEREFORE be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Universal School Food Program Act.
(a) "Minister" means the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development;
(b) "program" means the universal school food program established under Section 3.
3 (1) Subject to Section 5, the Minister shall establish and fund a universal school food program to provide, as provided in this Section, all public school students in grades pre-primary to 12 access to free meals while attending school.
(2) Beginning September 1, 2024, and subject to subsection (3), the program must offer each student a minimum of one meal per school day.
(3) Beginning September 1, 2025, the program must offer each student a minimum of two meals per school day.
(4) No fees may be collected from students or their families for participation in the program.
(5) Meals offered under the program must include food that is ecologically and ethically produced, nutritious, culturally appropriate and, where possible, locally sourced.
4 In designing the program, the Minister shall undertake Province-wide consultations with parents, school administrators and community stakeholders to ensure the program meets the diverse needs of all communities.
5 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2023 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created October 17, 2023. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
