Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, speaks about free school meals on the House floor on Jan. 22, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The North Dakota House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill to provide free school meals to K-12 students, sending the bill to the Senate.
The Senate will take up the bill Friday, the last scheduled day of North Dakota’s special legislative session. The House, after a lengthy debate, passed House Bill 1624, 55-38.
Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, said the bill mirrors a constitutional ballot measure that would require the state to cover the cost of lunch and breakfast for all K-12 students.
He admitted that without the push for the constitutional amendment, the debate on the bill would not be taking place. He said putting free school meals into state law, instead of changing the constitution, gives the Legislature the flexibility it needs to tweak the law, if needed.
The Together for Free School Meals coalition is gathering signatures to put free school meals up to a statewide vote in November.
Nathe said he expected the coalition to support the bill because it covers what it is in the measure, but provides the funding starting in the 2026-27 school year — a year earlier than the measure would.
“So if they truly believe and support kids, as they’ve been telling me, …. they would support this bill,” Nathe said.
The bill would provide $65 million to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch at public schools. Private and tribal schools would be able to opt in.
The Legislature expanded the state’s free and reduced lunch program but lawmakers have held back on free school meals for all students.
Among the opponents was Rep. Steve Vetter, R-Grand Forks, who opposed paying for school meals for families with six-figure incomes that can afford school meals.
He referenced Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” saying he supports paying for meals for poor Tiny Tim but not for rich Uncle Scrooge.
“It’s a bad idea to feed Scrooge,” he said.
Several supporters noted polls that show a free school meal program is a priority for North Dakota residents.
Rep. SuAnn Olson, R-Baldwin, said she believed people would prefer expanded property tax relief over free school meals, if given the choice.
Rep. Todd Porter, R-Mandan, said the free meals will mean school districts will not have to use property tax money to erase school lunch debt.
“This bill is property tax relief. There’s no two ways about it,” Porter said.
Some House supporters of free school meals for all on Thursday said the state should not discriminate against higher income families, just as the state’s efforts to reduce property taxes have gone to all primary residence homeowners, rich or poor.
“We didn’t talk about income guidelines,” Rep. Austen Schauer, R-West Fargo, said of an expanded property tax credit passed in 2025.
He said understood wanting to maintain the principle of not providing free meals for families that can afford it, but said it was more important for the Legislature to maintain control over the program, rather than changing the constitution.
He said many children from wealthy families will still choose to eat out rather than eat a school lunch.
“Rich kids will not be using free lunches, I’ll guarantee it,” Schauer said.
The Senate is scheduled to convene at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
The bill received a narrow do-pass recommendation in committee Wednesday. The bill had less support from the Senate members of the committee, who supported it with an 8-7 vote.
During the 2025 legislative session, members of the Senate did not vote on either of the two House bills that would have provided free meals to K-12 students. Both bills were defeated in the House.
Other meal bill fails
House members voted down another option to expand eligibility to free and reduced lunch.
House Bill 1627, failed 48-45. The bill sponsored by Rep. Ty Dressler, R-Richardton, would increase the state’s free and reduced school lunch program to include families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty limit, which is about an annual income of $96,000 for a family of four.
That bill would have required families to provide financial information to show eligibility, similar to previous legislation approved by lawmakers.
Comments