1. As used in this chapter: "Categorically eligible" means that a student is homeless, is a migrant child, is a runaway child, is a foster child, or is a Head Start child, as defined in 7 C.F.R. Part 245, or is receiving assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or, to the extent that the United States Department of Agriculture authorizes the matching of Medicaid data to identify children who are eligible for free school meals, is a participant in the Medicaid program, and which student, by virtue of such status, is automatically eligible to be certified to receive free school meals under the National School Lunch Program or the federal School Breakfast Program, without first submitting an application or being subject to the federal income verification requirements established by 7 C.F.R. Part 245. "Community Eligibility Provision" means a type of special assistance alternative, identified at 7 C.F.R. Part 245, pursuant to which the United States Department of Agriculture provides reimbursement for free school meals that are provided by eligible, high-poverty local educational agencies and schools that participate in both the National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program. "Eligible student" means a student who is categorically eligible or income-eligible for one or more subsidized school meals. "Emergency meals distribution program" means a program, established under section 1 of P.L.2020, c.6 (C.18A:33-27.2), pursuant to which a school district is required to provide subsidized school meals to eligible students, through designated distribution sites, during any period in which a school in the district is subject to a public health-related closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Federal School Breakfast Program" means the federal reimbursement program, established under the "Child Nutrition Act of 1966," 42 U.S.C. s.1771 et seq., pursuant to which the United States Department of Agriculture is authorized to provide grants-in-aid and other assistance to the States, as may be necessary to help finance the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of school breakfast programs and facilitate the provision of free and reduced price breakfasts to eligible students. "Federally eligible for free or reduced price meals" or "federally eligible" means that a student is categorically eligible for free lunch under the National School Lunch Program or for free breakfast under the federal School Breakfast Program, or that the student satisfies federal income eligibility requirements, adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to 7 C.F.R. Part 245, as is necessary to federally qualify for and receive free or reduced price lunch under the National School Lunch Program or free or reduced price breakfast under the federal School Breakfast Program. "Federally ineligible for free or reduced price meals" or "federally ineligible" means that a student is not categorically eligible for, and fails to satisfy federal income eligibility requirements, adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to 7 C.F.R. Part 245, as is necessary for the student to federally qualify for and receive free or reduced price lunch under the National School Lunch Program or free or reduced price breakfast under the federal School Breakfast Program. "Income-eligible" means that a student either satisfies federal income eligibility requirements, adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to 7 C.F.R. Part 245, or satisfies State-level income eligibility requirements, set forth in subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4) or subsection a. of section 12 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-14a), as is necessary for the student to qualify for and receive subsidized lunch under the National School Lunch Program or subsidized breakfast under the federal School Breakfast Program, on the basis of income. "Low-income family" means a family with an annual household income amounting to not more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level. "Middle-income family" means a family with an annual household income amounting to not less than 186 percent, and not more than 224 percent, of the federal poverty level. "National School Lunch Program" means the federal reimbursement program established under the "Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act," 42 U.S.C. s.1751 et seq., pursuant to which the United States Department of Agriculture is authorized to provide grants-in-aid and other assistance to the States, as may be necessary to help finance the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of school lunch programs and facilitate the provision of free and reduced price lunches to eligible students. "Participating school" means a public or nonpublic school that provides daily lunch to enrolled students, through a school lunch program operated pursuant to the National School Lunch Program, or that provides daily breakfast to enrolled students, through a school breakfast program or breakfast after the bell program operated pursuant to the federal School Breakfast Program, or both. "Participating school district or nonpublic school" means a public school district or a nonpublic school that is required, or elects, to participate in the National School Lunch Program, the federal School Breakfast Program, or both, as the case may be. "School breakfast program" means a program that is established and operated by a public or nonpublic school, in accordance with the requirements of the federal School Breakfast Program and, in the case of a public school, in accordance with a plan adopted pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2003, c.4 (C.18A:33-10) or section 6 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-10.1), and pursuant to which the school offers daily breakfasts to all enrolled students. "School lunch program" means a program that is established and operated by a school district, or by a nonpublic school, in accordance with the requirements of the National School Lunch Program and the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4), and pursuant to which the district or nonpublic school offers daily lunches to all students enrolled therein. "Special assistance alternative" means a special nutrition assistance alternative federal reimbursement method that is authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s.1759a and 7 C.F.R. Part 245, for eligible schools that serve free meals to all enrolled students. "Special assistance alternative" includes Provision 2, Provision 3, and the Community Eligibility Provision, as described in 7 C.F.R. Part 245, as well as any other similar alternative reimbursement method that is authorized by the United States Department of Agriculture, now or in the future, for schools that serve free meals to all enrolled students. "Student" means a child 18 years of age or younger who is enrolled at a school in the State. "Subsidized school breakfast" or "subsidized breakfast" means a school breakfast that is offered to an eligible student, free of charge, and the costs of which are reimbursed by the State or federal government, as provided by subsections a. and b. of section 12 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-14a). "Subsidized school lunch" or "subsidized lunch" means a school lunch that is offered to an eligible student, free of charge, and the costs of which are reimbursed by the State or federal government, as provided by subsections a. and b. of section 1 of P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4). "Subsidized school meals" or "subsidized meals" includes both subsidized school breakfasts and subsidized school lunches. "Subsidized school meals application" means an application that identifies a student's annual household income and is completed by the student's parent or guardian, pursuant to section 16 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-21b1), subsection c. of section 1 of P.L.2015, c.15 (C.18A:33-21), or applicable federal law, and which may be used by a school district, or by a public school or nonpublic school, both for the purposes of determining whether a student is income-eligible for subsidized school meals and for the other limited purposes specified in subsection c. of section 16 of P.L.2022, c.104 (C.18A:33-21b1). "Subsidized school meals certification process" or "subsidized meals certification" means the process pursuant to which a school or school district obtains and reviews a student's subsidized school meals application, or engages in the review of other relevant documentation and materials pertaining to the student, as necessary to determine whether the student is categorically eligible or income-eligible for subsidized school meals under the National School Lunch Program, or under the federal School Breakfast Program, or both. "Summer Food Service Program" means the federal reimbursement program, established under 42 U.S.C. s.1761 and 7 C.F.R. Part 225, pursuant to which the United States Department of Agriculture is authorized to provide grants-in-aid and other assistance to the States, as may be necessary to help schools, local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, and summer camps finance the administrative and operational costs of providing meals to children, in low-income areas, during the summer months and other planned periods of school closure. "Summer meals program" means the Summer Food Service Program, the Seamless Summer Option authorized by 42 U.S.C. s.1761, or any other similar State or federal program that is designed to ensure that children have access to nutritious meals during the summer months and other planned periods of school closure. "Unreimbursed costs" means the costs of a school lunch or school breakfast, which costs are not eligible for reimbursement from the federal government. "Unsubsidized school breakfast" or "unsubsidized breakfast" means a school breakfast that is offered, upon the payment of a fee, to a student who is neither categorically eligible nor income-eligible for subsidized breakfast, regardless of whether such student remains income-eligible for subsidized school lunch under the provisions of paragraph (4) of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1974, c.53 (C.18A:33-4), and the cost of which breakfast is not reimbursable by the State or federal government. "Unsubsidized school lunch" or "unsubsidized lunch" means a school lunch that is offered, upon the payment of a fee, to a student who is not categorically eligible or income-eligible for subsidized lunch, and the cost of which is not reimbursable by the State or federal government. L.2022, c.104, s.1; amended 2023, c.336, s.1.