Summer Meals: Expanding Free Food for All Children
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
Universal programs that provide benefits regardless of income often face strong opposition because of the high cost to taxpayers and lack of bipartisan support.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The bill removes income and area based eligibility limits for the Summer Food Service Program, so any child could get free meals during summer break instead of only kids in qualifying low income neighborhoods. It also lets programs hand out grab and go meals that kids can eat off site, making it easier for families in rural areas or with tough schedules to get food.
“All children shall be eligible to participate in the program under this section.”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Rep. Andy Kim reintroduced the Summer Meals REACH Act to combat food insecurity by removing barriers to summer meal programs. The bill proposes making permanent the waivers for non-congregate feeding and remote monitoring, which were successful during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Summer Meals REACH Act would eliminate the requirement that communities have at least 50% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals to run a site. It also permits grab-and-go meals and remote monitoring, aiming to support local efforts to combat food insecurity.
In an interview, Rep. Andy Kim discusses the Summer Meals REACH Act, emphasizing that education includes caring for a student's overall well-being. He notes that thousands of children in his district are food insecure and that the bill is essential to ensure they don't go hungry during the summer.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Summer Meals REACH Act of 2025
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