wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5878 > Original Bill
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, when requested by a student, parent, or legal guardian, a school district must offer a plant-based food option as an alternative to any school meal or snack that contains animal products. The plant-based food option must be offered at no additional cost to the student beyond what would be charged for a comparable nonplant-based food option. All written materials describing school meal offerings must indicate that plant-based food options are available upon request.
A school district must respond in a reasonable manner and time to any request made under this section. Once made, the request must be effective for every school meal or snack in which the student is reasonably expected to participate. This section does not preclude a school district from offering plant-based food options to students who have not requested it, and does not preclude a student who has requested a plant-based food option from selecting another available option.
This section does not apply to summer food service programs.
This section governs school operation and management under RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020, and applies to charter schools established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW to the same extent as it applies to school districts.
For the purposes of this section:
"Animal product" means meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey, and any derivative thereof; and
"Plant-based food option" means foods or beverages that are free of animal products and, as relates to the protein portion of a meal, are recognized by the United States department of agriculture as a meat alternate for purposes of the national school lunch program.