Universal School Meals Program Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill would make breakfast and lunch free for every student enrolled in a school that participates in federal meal programs, eliminating the current system of income-based eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. No family would need to fill out applications to prove their child qualifies.
• Schools would be banned from collecting unpaid meal debts from families, and the federal government would reimburse schools for all existing delinquent meal debt. This is designed to end the practice of "lunch shaming" where children are singled out over unpaid balances.
• The bill sets federal reimbursement rates at $3.28 per free breakfast and $5.42 per free lunch, with annual inflation adjustments. Schools that source at least 25% of their food from local farms would get bonus payments of $0.30 per lunch and $0.21 per breakfast.
• Summer food programs would be expanded so all children can participate, with electronic benefits of $60 per month per eligible child during summer. The summer food service program would also be opened up to serve meals to all children, not just those who meet income thresholds.
• Meals and supplements at afterschool programs, child care centers, and other non-school settings would also become free for all children, with institutions reimbursed at the same rates as school meals. This extends the reach of the program well beyond the traditional school day.
• Because free/reduced-price lunch data is currently used to measure poverty in schools for Title I funding and other programs, the bill creates a new survey system and direct certification process to identify low-income students without relying on meal eligibility applications.

Votes

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Related Bills

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