HB 1333 — Students: Duration of School Lunch (North Dakota)
Status
- Bill number: HB 1333
- Purpose: create and enact a new section to chapter 15.1‑19 of the North Dakota Century Code relating to the duration of a student's school lunch break.
- Introduced: May 6, 2025
- Legislative status (as provided): Second reading — failed to pass (yeas 20, nays 70). The bill did not advance out of the second reading vote.
Summary — main purpose
- The bill would require school districts to provide each student at least 30 minutes per day for a lunch break, scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. It adds a new statutory section to chapter 15.1‑19 NDCC to impose that time requirement.
Key provisions
- Minimum lunch time: Each student must be provided at least thirty (30) minutes per day for a lunch break.
- Time window: The lunch break must occur between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
- High school excusal rule: A high school student may be excused from the class immediately following the student’s lunch break for however many minutes (if any) are needed to ensure the student receives the 30‑minute lunch each day of the semester if both of the following occur:
- The student obtains a written document from a high‑school counselor verifying the student may be excused under this section; and
- The student provides that document to the affected class’s teacher once per semester.
Who would be affected
- Primary: Students (all grade levels for the 30‑minute requirement; the excusal rule specifically affects high school students).
- School districts and school administrators: responsible for scheduling and ensuring compliance with the 30‑minute requirement and the permitted excusal arrangement.
- High‑school counselors: required to provide written verification when a student qualifies for excusal.
- Classroom teachers: required to excuse students the specified number of minutes immediately after lunch when presented with the counselor verification.
- Possible indirect effects: transportation, extracurricular schedules, and class time allocation may require adjustment.
Implementation and fiscal/timing notes
- The bill text creates a new section in state law (chapter 15.1‑19 NDCC). No funding, enforcement mechanism, or effective date is specified in the provided text; practical implementation would rely on school districts adjusting schedules and supervision plans.
- Potential impacts on instructional time and daily schedules could be administrative (rescheduling classes or shortening passing times) but the bill contains no appropriation or mandate for additional staff/supervision.
- Because the bill failed on second reading (per status given), it did not become law in this session. If proponents seek revival, they would need to reintroduce the measure or pursue amendments in a future session.
Observations / considerations
- The measure sets a clear minimum lunch length and places scheduling responsibility on districts; it allows an administrative / counselor‑verified accommodation for high school students to be excused from part of the immediately following class to ensure the 30‑minute lunch is achieved.
- School districts considering compliance would need to address supervision during lunch, transportation timing, bell schedules, and possible loss of instructional minutes for classes that follow lunch.
