This bill creates a new section in chapter 28A.235 RCW establishing a statutory requirement that, beginning in the 2026-27 school year, school districts must offer a plant-based food option when requested by a student, parent, or legal guardian. This is a new procedural requirement in school meal law, not a criminal or penalty change. The plant-based option must be provided at no additional cost compared to a comparable nonplant-based option, and written materials about school meal offerings must state that plant-based options are available upon request. The bill defines "animal product" to include meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey, and derivatives, and defines "plant-based food option" as foods or beverages free of animal products with the protein portion recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a meat alternate for the National School Lunch Program. Districts must respond in a reasonable manner and time and, once requested, the option must be effective for every school meal or snack in which the requesting student is reasonably expected to participate. The requirement does not apply to summer food service programs, does not prevent districts from offering plant-based options to other students, and does not prevent a requesting student from choosing another available option. The section also applies to charter schools under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education compact schools under chapter 28A.715 RCW to the same extent it applies to school districts. The bill references the USDA and the National School Lunch Program for the meat-alternate standard. It was prefiled 12/12/25, read for the first time 01/12/26, and referred to the Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education. The extracted text does not include enforcement mechanisms, funding or reimbursement provisions, reporting requirements, penalties for noncompliance, administrative rules, procurement or menu-planning details, or the content of the cited RCW sections, so those implementation details are unknown from the provided material.

If enacted, starting in the 2026–27 school year Washington public school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal compact schools will have to provide a plant-based meal or snack at no additional charge whenever a student or their parent or guardian requests it, and note that option in written meal materials. Once a request is made, the plant-based choice must be available for every school meal or snack the requesting student is reasonably expected to take; summer meal programs are exempt. The protein portion must meet the USDA’s definition of a meat alternate for the National School Lunch Program. The people most affected will be school food-service operations and district administrators who will need to accept and act on requests, change menus, buy USDA-recognized plant-based meat alternates, train staff, and update communications. These steps could raise procurement and administrative costs and change menu planning, but the bill text does not include funding, reimbursement, enforcement, or reporting details, so how those costs are covered and how compliance will be monitored is unclear.