Rhode Island Lawmakers Seek to Cap School Meal Fees

PROVIDENCE, RI — State lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at limiting transaction and processing fees for school meals in Rhode Island.

The bill was brought by Senate President Valarie J. Lawson, D-East Providence, and Rep. Justine Caldwell, D-East Greenwich, West Greenwich.

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“Data shows that well-fed kids do better in school, so we should remove any barriers that might cause students to go hungry, especially in times of rising costs and acute food insecurity,” Lawson said in a media release.

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“There should always be a way to pay for meals without a processing fee and any fees that are charged should be limited and exist only to cover the actual costs, not profit the vendor," Lawson said.

The bill would require all public schools and districts to provide at least one no-fee method to pay for school meals, according to the release.

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"The Rhode Island Department of Education would set the rules and regulations to ensure uniform statewide standards for no-fee payment access," the release said.

“Providing our kids with breakfast and lunch is an essential part of a quality public education, and vendors shouldn’t profit off of that service by charging unavoidable and expensive processing fees,” Caldwell said in the release.

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“Cutting down or eliminating these fees is an important step to make sure that children aren’t hungry at school, allowing them to focus on learning both in and out of the classroom," Caldwell said.

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