All Roll Calls
Yes: 138 • No: 7
ArkansasSB592025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
TO PROVIDE EACH STUDENT WITH ONE BREAKFAST AT NO COST EACH SCHOOL DAY UPON REQUEST WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE STUDENT'S ELIGIBILITY FOR A FEDERALLY FUNDED FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE MEAL; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
Sponsored By: Zack Gramlich (Republican), Jonathan Dismang (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Free breakfasts for Arkansas public schoolchildren
Beginning with the 2025–2026 school year, Arkansas expands free breakfast access without regard to federal free or reduced-price meal eligibility. Public school students outside the existing qualifying group under Arkansas Code § 6-18-722 receive one free breakfast each school day upon request. They must not already receive free breakfast through another local, state, or federal program. The Department of Education uses available federal child nutrition money first, then other authorized money if federal funding falls short. State costs per breakfast cannot exceed the federal reimbursement rate for a free school breakfast. The department can adopt rules to carry out the program. The law's emergency clause made it effective immediately to support planning and funding.
Dedicated funding for children's food help
The law creates the Food Insecurity Fund to support school meals and summer grocery benefits for children. It receives monthly transfers tied to certified medical-marijuana sales and special privilege tax receipts, plus authorized general revenues, gifts, grants, and other authorized money. On June 30, 2025, the remaining Food Insecurity and Health Needs reserve set-aside transfers into the fund. By July 31 each fiscal year, education officials certify prior-year costs of removing reduced-price breakfast and lunch copayments. Human services officials certify the estimated state match needed for Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits. The Chief Fiscal Officer can approve, change, or deny these requests based on needs, available money, purpose, and spending priorities. Approved allocations go proportionally to the two agencies; unspent amounts carry forward and can reduce later requests. After those allocations, the Treasurer transfers the remaining balance to the Department of Education for free breakfasts. Unspent breakfast money remains available for that purpose the next fiscal year.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Zack Gramlich
Republican • House
Jonathan Dismang
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Andrew Collins
Democratic • House
Brandon Achor
Republican • House
Wade Andrews
Republican • House
Breanne Davis
Republican • Senate
Blake Johnson
Republican • Senate
Sonia Eubanks Barker
Republican • House
Glenn Barnes
Democratic • House
Lincoln Barnett
Democratic • House
Howard M. Beaty, Jr.
Republican • House
Mary Bentley
Republican • House
Harlan Breaux
Republican • House
Keith Brooks
Republican • House
Clarke Tucker
Democratic • Senate
Frances Cavenaugh
Republican • House
Paul Childress
Republican • House
Nicole Clowney
Democratic • House
Bruce Cozart
Republican • House
Cindy Crawford
Republican • House
Steve Crowell
Republican • Senate
Denise Garner
Democratic • House
Dave Wallace
Republican • Senate
David Whitaker
Democratic • House
Tyler Dees
Republican • Senate
James Eaton
Republican • House
Les D. Eaves
Republican • House
Denise Jones Ennett
Democratic • House
Brian S. Evans
Republican • House
Fred Allen
Democratic • House
Fredrick J. Love
Democratic • Senate
Tony Furman
Republican • House
Greg Leding
Democratic • Senate
Gary Stubblefield
Republican • Senate
Jimmy Gazaway
Republican • House
Ben Gilmore
Republican • Senate
Diana Gonzales Worthen
Democratic • House
Brad Hall
Republican • House
Dolly Henley
Republican • House
Bart Hester
Republican • Senate
Mike Holcomb
Republican • House
Steve Hollowell
Republican • House
Ashley Hudson
Democratic • House
Missy Irvin
Republican • Senate
Justin Boyd
Republican • Senate
Jim Dotson
Republican • Senate
Jane English
Republican • Senate
John Payton
Republican • Senate
Jim Petty
Republican • Senate
Jay Richardson
Democratic • House
Jamie Scott
Democratic • Senate
Lane Jean
Republican • House
Joey L. Carr
Republican • House
Karilyn Brown
Republican • House
Kenneth B. Ferguson
Democratic • House
Kim Hammer
Republican • Senate
Kendra Moore
Republican • House
Matt Brown
Republican • House
Mark Johnson
Republican • Senate
Mark D. McElroy
Republican • House
John Maddox
Republican • House
Stephen Magie
Democratic • House
Rick McClure
Republican • House
Tippi McCullough
Democratic • House
Jessie McGruder
Democratic • House
Ron McNair
Republican • House
Jon Milligan
Republican • House
Stetson Painter
Republican • House
Mark Perry
Democratic • House
Aaron Pilkington
Republican • House
Chad Puryear
Republican • House
Reginald Murdock
Democratic • Senate
R. Scott Richardson
Republican • House
Terry Rice
Republican • Senate
Johnny Rye
Republican • House
Stan Berry
Republican • House
Stephanie Flowers
Democratic • Senate
Bart Schulz
Republican • House
Joy Springer
Democratic • House
Tracy Steele
Democratic • House
Matt Stone
Republican • Senate
Tara Shephard
Democratic • House
Dwight Tosh
Republican • House
DeAnn Vaught
Republican • House
Steven Walker
Republican • House
Les Warren
Republican • House
Jim Wooten
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 2/17/2025
Senate Vote - Monday, February 17, 2025 1:46:54 PM
Yes: 24 • No: 1 • Other: 9
House vote • 2/13/2025
House Vote - Thursday, February 13, 2025 2:30:53 PM
Yes: 88 • No: 4 • Other: 6
Senate vote • 2/6/2025
Senate Vote - Thursday, February 6, 2025 10:18:52 AM
Yes: 26 • No: 2 • Other: 5
Actions Timeline
Notification that SB59 is now Act 123
2/24/2025SenateDELIVERED TO GOVERNOR.
2/17/2025SenateReported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor.
2/17/2025SenateORDERED ENROLLED
2/17/2025SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
2/17/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
2/17/2025SenateRules suspended.
2/17/2025SenateHouse Amendment No. 1 read first time, rule suspended, read second time and concurred in.
2/17/2025SenatePlaced on second reading for purpose of amendment.
2/17/2025SenateReturned from the House as passed as amended # 1 .
2/13/2025SenateReturned to Senate as passed, as amended # 1
2/13/2025HouseRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
2/13/2025HouseREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
2/12/2025HouseAmendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.
2/12/2025HousePlaced on second reading for the purpose of amendment.
2/12/2025HouseReturned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1
2/11/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE
2/6/2025HouseRECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
2/6/2025HouseOrdered immediately transmitted to the House.
2/6/2025SenateEMERGENCY CLAUSE ADOPTED
2/6/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
2/6/2025SenateReturned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
2/5/2025SenateRe-referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE
2/4/2025SenateREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
2/4/2025SenateAmendment # 2 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.
2/4/2025Senate
Bill Text
SB59 - Introduced
1/14/2025
Act Version
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