                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

SCHOOL MEAL POLICIES; DONATIONS (§ 22.1-79.7)

A. Each local school board shall adopt policies that:

   1. Prohibit school board employees from requiring a student who cannot pay for
   a meal at school or who owes a school meal debt to throw away or discard a
   meal after it has been served to him, do chores or other work to pay for such
   meals, or wear a wristband or hand stamp;

   2. Require school board employees to direct any communication relating to a
   school meal debt to the student&#8217;s parent. Such policy may permit such
   communication to be made by a letter addressed to the parent to be sent home
   with the student;

   3. Prohibit the school board from filing a lawsuit against a student or the
   student&#8217;s parent because the student cannot pay for a meal at school or
   owes a school meal debt; and

   4. Prohibit the school board or any school board employee from denying a
   student the opportunity to participate in any extracurricular school activity
   because the student cannot pay for a meal at school or owes a school meal
   debt.

B. Any school board may solicit and receive any donation or other funds for the
purpose of eliminating or offsetting any school meal debt at any time and shall
use any such funds solely for such purpose.

HISTORY: 2018, cc. 384, 712; 2020, cc. 509, 575; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 106;
2022, c. 686.