Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified
Risks
- No material direct effect identified
StateMontanaVetoed
HB 551: Eliminate reduced-price copayments for school lunch and breakfast
Melissa Romano
HB 551 status: Vetoed — (H) Vetoed by Governor (updated Jun 19, 2025).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
72OUT OF 100
Score:72/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 60/100
Constitutionality90%
Bipartisan40%
Public opinion75%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill proposed removing all copayments for students currently classified for reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches, making these meals free.
Who is affected
K-12 students who are currently eligible for reduced-price school meals.
Requirements and enforcement
Schools would be required to eliminate meal charges for the targeted group and cover the difference via state funds.
Costs and funding
Requires state appropriation to replace student-paid portion of meal fees; exact costs are not detailed in the summary.
When it takes effect
Not stated in the available source.
Potential benefits
Increases student food security, reduces poverty stigma in schools, and lowers financial pressure on families.
Risks and tradeoffs
Fiscal impact on the state budget and reliance on consistent legislative appropriations.
What is still unknown
Long-term state fiscal sustainability and potential impacts on local school administrative workflows.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- Reduces costs for working families
- Increases household disposable income
- Reduces administrative burdens of fee collection
Risks
- Increases state budget expenditures
- Requires new recurring appropriations
- Shifts costs from individuals to taxpayers
Society
Positive outlook
75%
Benefits
- Removes financial barriers to nutrition
- Reduces social stigma of reduced-price meals
- Ensures consistent food security for students
Risks
- Creates dependence on state-funded systems
- Potential for program sustainability challenges
- Concerns regarding long-term state policy shifts
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified
Risks
- No material direct effect identified
Civic Accountability
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified
Risks
- No material direct effect identified
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- Improved daily caloric intake for students
- Reduced hunger-related academic distraction
- Supports healthy childhood development
Risks
- Depends on current nutritional quality standards
- Risk of underfunding if budget caps are met
- Lack of oversight on school meal quality
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source provided is a summary; full statutory text was not reviewed.
04
Where it stands
Official record(H) Vetoed by Governor
- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
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06
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