1684                             Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 580

for the public schools which may hereafter be made out of the federal
treasury by an act or acts of Congress and any additional funds di-
rected to the State Board of Education by acts of Congress or federal
regulation and the State Board of Education shall be constituted the
educational authority for the expenditure and administration of any
such funds.

All moneys received by the State from such appropriations for
educational purposes or subsidized and/or free lunch FEEDING
programs that may hereafter be made by any act or acts of Congress
shall be received into the State treasury and the Treasurer is hereby
authorized, upon warrant of the Comptroller, to receive and provide
for the proper custody of same and to make disbursements therefrom
upon the order of the State Board of Education according to the pro-
cedure of the State treasury department.

126.

(a) Every public school throughout the State shall provide a
program of subsidized and/or free lunches FEEDING PROGRAMS
for the benefit of children meeting such standards as are promulgated
and published by the State Board of Education (this program being
in addition to, and not in lieu of, any Federal programs).

(B) THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED A STATE FREE
FEEDING PROGRAM. EACH YEAR THE STATE SUPERIN-
TENDENT OF SCHOOLS SHALL DETERMINE THE AMOUNT
OF STATE FUNDS THAT WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE
A PROGRAM OF SUBSIDIZED AND/OR FREE FEEDING PRO-
GRAMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STANDARDS PROMUL-
GATED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) HEREIN. THE AMOUNT
OF THE REQUIRED FUNDS SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE
REQUESTED APPROPRIATION FOR THE GENERAL STATE
SCHOOL FUND. FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR THE PUR-
POSES OF THE STATE FREE FEEDING PROGRAM INCLUD-
ING ANY FEDERAL FUNDS SUCH AMOUNT AS SHALL BE IN-
CLUDED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN THE ANNUAL STATE
BUDGET, INCLUDING ANY FEDERAL FUNDS, AND AS SUB-
MITTED TO AND APPROPRIATED BY THE GENERAL AS-
SEMBLY, SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE COUNTY
BOARDS OF EDUCATION AND THE BOARD OF SCHOOL
COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF BALTIMORE IN ACCORD-
ANCE WITH THE PROVISION OF SECTION 127 OF THIS
ARTICLE.

(b) (C) In the enactment of this requirement for a program of
subsidized and/or free lunches FEEDING PROGRAMS for the bene-
fit of children in the public schools, the General Assembly makes this
statement of public policy: The Maryland Commission on Childhood
Nutrition has estimated that 90,000 school children in this State
need a free or reduced price school lunch. This need is acute for the
welfare of the children and to assure their satisfactory progress in
school studies. Children of school age, and particularly those in ele-
mentary grades, risk permanent physical and mental damage if they
suffer from malnutrition. It is vital to the health and progress of the
child and a necessity in assuring a healthful and educated younger
generation that this program be initiated and steadfastly continued.
Only by such a program may the General Assembly make certain
that at least once each day all its developing children achieve a basic,
balanced, and nutritional meal.