BOSTON—Earlier this month, Governor Charlie Baker signed into law Senator Sal DiDomenico’s bill to fight childhood hunger and boost participation rates in school breakfast programs in schools with high percentages of students from low-income families in the Commonwealth. The bill, An Act regarding breakfast after the bell, requires all public K‑12 schools with 60 percent or more students eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal National School Lunch Program to offer breakfast after theinstructional day begins.

Senator DiDomenico has been a longtime champion of anti-hunger policies in the Massachusetts Senate and has sponsored this Breakfast After the Bell bill for the past two legislative sessions. Earlier in theyear, he was the recipient of the 2020 Breakfast Hero Award from the national anti-hunger campaign No Kid Hungry for his advocacy on Breakfast After the Bell and his work to end childhood hunger in theCommonwealth. This new law is the culmination of many years work and advocacy by Senator DiDomenico, his staff, and food security advocates from across the state. 

“As childhood hunger rates continue to spike due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important to increase our school breakfast participation rates and provide our students with the nutrition they need to start their day ready to learn,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, theSenate sponsor of the bill. “I have seen the success of Breakfast After the Bell in my own community, and I am confident that this policy will help to ensure every child in the Commonwealth has access to a stigma-free and nutritious breakfast. Thank you to Senate President Spilka and Speaker DeLeo for making Breakfast After the Bell a legislative priority, as well as my partners Representative Vega, Representative Vargas, and the Rise and Shine Coalition for their tireless advocacy on this legislation.”

“When we first began advocating for this bill, 1 in 9 children in Massachusetts faced food insecurity and nearly 150,000 low income students were not accessing school breakfast. Today, 1 in 5 children is at risk of food insecurity, so now more than ever many more families will likely benefit from school meals,” said Catherine D’Amato, president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank, which led thestatewide Rise and Shine Massachusetts coalition. “Passing this bill was a team effort by more than fifty organizations and school stakeholders across the state in coordination with our legislative champions. The Breakfast After the Bell legislation will help us move to a more equitable public education system, one in which all students get the nutrition they need to succeed for years to come.”

 “The COVID-19 crisis and resulting increase in food insecurity highlight the importance of child nutrition programs, such as school breakfast,” said Erin McAleer, President of Project Bread.

“Project Bread stands ready to support schools and districts in implementation of this legislation, working hand-in-hand to provide the most successful school breakfast program possible. We are grateful to thelegislature for their overwhelming support of Breakfast After the Bell, and especially to Senator DiDomenico and House sponsors, Representatives Vargas and Vega, for their commitment to ensuring that more Massachusetts students can start the school day with the nutrition they need to learn and thrive.”

Massachusetts currently requires all schools with high percentages of students from low-income families to provide breakfast to every eligible student. However, because breakfast is typically offered before thebell and in the cafeteria, participation levels are low—less than 40 percent—compared to 80‑90 percent participation for free and reduced lunch. Moving breakfast from before the bell to after the bell is a proven strategy to boost breakfast participation and ensure that all students have the nutrition they need to start their day ready to learn.

This law will require schools across Massachusetts serving low-income students to offer breakfast afterthe start of the instructional day through a variety of delivery models, including breakfast in theclassroom, grab-and-go, and second-chance breakfast. This flexibility allows school districts to select themodel that best fits their students’ needs.

As a federally reimbursed program, Breakfast After the Bell has the potential to provide up to $25 million statewide to Massachusetts school districts that increase participation rates to 80 percent and above. These payments are made directly to school nutrition departments, helping to support jobs, update kitchen equipment, and provide healthier menu options. 

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BOSTON – Senator Sal DiDomenico was recently honored as a 2020 Legislative Reception Award recipient by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and the Massachusetts Association of Jewish Federations (MAJF). The Legislative Reception is an annual event that serves as an opportunity for leadership of the Jewish community to engage with state public officials and to advocate for their public policy and budget priorities, including standing with immigrants and refugees, criminal justice reform, economic justice and education. While this year’s Legislative Reception was cancelled in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, DiDomenico recently accepted the award from his home.

“It is an honor to receive this award from the Jewish Community Relations Council and theMassachusetts Association of Jewish Federations,” said DiDomenico. “Throughout my career, I have strived to lift up our Commonwealth’s most vulnerable, and I always know that I have trusted partnersin JCRC and MAJF. Whether it be fighting for justice for our immigrant and refugee community, providing support to low-income families, or working towards economic justice for all, I am always proud to stand with JCRC and MAJF. I am deeply grateful for their partnership and advocacy over the years, and I would thank them for this recognition.”

In selecting him as a 2020 Legislative Reception Award recipient, the JCRC and MAJF stated: “From his first term, Senator DiDomenico has been a trusted partner on many of our key priorities, most specifically the charge to provide a ladder to economic opportunity for all people. He was the Senate lead sponsor on the recently enacted “Lift the Cap on Kids” legislation to ensure that families in poverty have access to needed supports and has led efforts to provide job training opportunities for immigrants and refugees.”

JCRC is a coalition of organizations and individuals that represents and advances the values, interests, and priorities of the organized Jewish community in greater Boston. Their government affairs work is centered around advancing the Jewish community’s shared priorities by securing public funding and advocating for broad-ranging policy change on issues from civil rights to human services, economic opportunity to safety and security, and the protection of democratic values. The Massachusetts Association of Jewish Federations is a statewide government affairs office that strengthens the relationship between the Jewish community and elected officials, advocates for issues of concern to the community, and helps its members access public funding to provide services to its clients.

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BOSTON –Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts State Senate recently passed legislation to remove existing barriers for students with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders or other developmental disabilities so they can attend public institutions of higher education. The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, honors the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law 30 years ago by President George H.W. Bush. 

Under An Act Creating Higher Education Opportunities for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, students would not be required to pass the MCAS, have a high school diploma, meet minimum requirements for academic courses, or take college entrance exams in order to access inclusive academic, social, and career development opportunities on college campuses with their peers. In addition, the bill also makes clear that strengthening access to higher education for students with disabilities is a goal of the Commonwealth's higher education system.

“I am very pleased that we were that we were able to pass this crucial piece of legislation to remove barriers to higher education and open doors to greater opportunity for individuals with disabilities,” said Senator DiDomenico. “As the husband of a special education teacher, I intimately understand that importance of creating a more inclusive education system and creating additional pathways to success for our students with physical and developmental disabilities. I am grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways & Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, and Senator Joan Lovely for their leadership on this issue. It is my sincere hope this bill continues making its way through the legislative process to the Governor’s desk for his signature.” 

Building on the success of the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) grant program, the bill codifies that program, which enables school districts and public institutions of higher education to partner together to offer inclusive concurrent enrollment initiative options for students with disabilities ages 18 to 22. Since 2007, over 1,200 students with disabilities have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate academically and socially in the life of participating colleges in Massachusetts through the MAICEI program. 

In response to the challenges facing school districts and public higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Senate bill ensures no additional costs are placed on a school district beyond the existing obligations already required under state and federal special education law.

Furthermore, the bill also ensures that colleges are not required to bear any additional costs of providing individual supports and services for students with severe intellectual disabilities, severe autism spectrum disorders, or other severe developmental disabilities who attend the college through the MACEI initiative. 

Finally, the bill delays the implementation of the requirements placed on our school districts and higher education institutions within the bill until the 2021–2022 school year.

The bill now heads to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

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