Overview
- The House voted 55-38 for HB 1624 to provide free breakfast and lunch to all K–12 students statewide.
- The Senate is set to take up the bill Friday on the special session’s final day.
- The plan carries a $65 million estimate for 2026–27 and would draw from the Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund, according to the Department of Public Instruction.
- A narrower alternative, HB 1627 to raise eligibility to 300% of the federal poverty level (about $96,000 for a family of four), failed 48-45.
- The bill mirrors a citizen-led ballot measure as organizers gather signatures, and Gov. Kelly Armstrong says he expects the initiative to pass.