COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers are weighing a proposal that would create a statewide grant program to help schools offer kosher and halal food options for students with religious dietary restrictions.
House Bill 562, introduced in October by Reps. Ismail Mohamed (D-Columbus) and Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna), would appropriate $300,000 in fiscal year 2027 for grants administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The funds would be available to middle schools, high schools and colleges seeking to establish, expand or improve their ability to serve meals that meet Jewish and Muslim dietary rules.
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The bill received its first hearing Nov. 18 in the House Community Revitalization Committee. Mohamed told lawmakers the proposal is a “straightforward and necessary” and said his office has heard from students who struggle to find appropriate meal options in their schools.
“No child or young person should ever have to choose between going hungry and violating their religious beliefs,” Mohamed said. “That is a burden we should never ask them to carry, regardless of their financial circumstances or the school they attend.”…