(1) For each fiscal year, the general assembly shall make an appropriation by separate line item in the annual general appropriation bill to allow school food authorities to provide lunches at no charge for children in state-subsidized early childhood education programs administered by public schools or in kindergarten through twelfth grade, participating in the school lunch program, who would otherwise be required to pay a reduced price for lunch. The appropriation to the department for the program must be in addition to any appropriation made by the general assembly pursuant to section 22-54-123 or 22-54-123.5 (1). The department may expend not more than two percent of the money annually appropriated for the program to offset the direct and indirect costs incurred by the department in implementing the program pursuant to this article 82.9.
(1.5) Repealed.
The department is authorized to seek and accept gifts, grants, and donations frompublic and private sources for the purposes of this article, but receipt of gifts, grants, and donations shall not be a prerequisite to the implementation of the program.
To the extent permitted by law, the department may, at its discretion, direct othermoneys to fund the program.
Source: L. 2008: Entire article added, p. 1641, § 2, effective August 5. L. 2009: (1) amended, (SB 09-230), ch. 227, p. 1037, § 14, effective May 4; (1) amended, (SB 09-033), ch. 54, p. 193, § 2, effective August 5. L. 2014: (1) amended, (HB 14-1156), ch. 319, p. 1397, § 2, effective August 6. L. 2015: (1) amended, (SB 15-235), ch. 127, p. 394, § 1, effective May 1. L. 2018: (1.5) added, (SB 18-013), ch. 267, p. 1648, § 2, effective May 29. L. 2019: (1) amended and (1.5) repealed, (HB 19-1171), ch. 148, p. 1768, § 2, effective August 2.
Editor's note: (1) Amendments to subsection (1) by Senate Bill 09-033 and Senate Bill 09-230 were harmonized.
(2) Section 4 of chapter 127 (SB 15-235), Session Laws of Colorado 2015, provides that changes to this section by the act apply to fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2014.