(The Center Square) – A bill in the Nebraska legislature would prevent school districts from contracting debt collection agencies to collect students’ outstanding breakfast or lunch debt.
State Senator Danielle Conrad, D-Lincoln, proposed LB 855 to make this change. It would also prevent districts from charging interest or other penalties on these outstanding debts.
Her bill received consideration from the Education Committee on Tuesday this week, according to a news release .
“When families are living on the edge — and these are the families who can’t pay their school meal debt — and they get turned over to collections, it really starts to spiral for them,” Conrad said in the release.
Conrad added that many poorer families cannot afford legal counsel, and even a school lunch debt default will negatively impact their credit report, negatively impacting their ability to rent housing.
Katie Nungesser also testified in support of the bill on behalf of Voices for Children in Nebraska.