This bill proposes an amendment to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, aiming to establish a new option for statewide community eligibility in school meal programs. This initiative seeks to expand access to free school meals by allowing states to implement a unified approach across all eligible schools. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Secretary of Agriculture would offer states the choice to adopt this program. Under this option, a state agency must commit to providing funding from non-Federal sources to guarantee that local educational agencies receive the free reimbursement rate for 100 percent of meals served at applicable schools. A key change is that the percentage of identified students would be calculated across all applicable schools within the entire state, and the standard eligibility threshold for participation would be set to zero.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Agriculture and Food
No Hungry Kids in Schools Act
USA119th CongressHR-2402| House
| Updated: 3/27/2025
This bill proposes an amendment to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, aiming to establish a new option for statewide community eligibility in school meal programs. This initiative seeks to expand access to free school meals by allowing states to implement a unified approach across all eligible schools. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Secretary of Agriculture would offer states the choice to adopt this program. Under this option, a state agency must commit to providing funding from non-Federal sources to guarantee that local educational agencies receive the free reimbursement rate for 100 percent of meals served at applicable schools. A key change is that the percentage of identified students would be calculated across all applicable schools within the entire state, and the standard eligibility threshold for participation would be set to zero.