South Dakota Senator Kadyn Wittman, has introduced a bill that would expand free and reduced lunch, to the state legislature. The bill has been introduced to the legislature for four years.
Wittman says the bill would require the state to cover the cost of breakfasts and lunches that typically fall on the shoulders of parents and families in the reduced category.
Wittman explained the bill would support the most vulnerable community members and cost the state about $600,000 per year.
According to the bill, the Department of Education will reimburse each school district for costs collected by the district providing meals to eligible students with funds allocated in the state's budget bill.
In previous legislative sessions the bill failed to gain support; this year Wittman says the bill has 14 cosponsors, 9 of which are Republican.
