Bill > HR2402

This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to create a new statewide community eligibility option for school lunch programs beginning July 1, 2025. Under this provision, states can opt into a program where they provide additional funding to ensure that all meals in applicable schools are reimbursed at the free meal rate. Specifically, the bill allows states to calculate the percentage of identified students across all applicable schools statewide, eliminates the current threshold for identifying eligible schools, and modifies the existing multiplier for determining meal reimbursement. In practical terms, this means a state could choose to fund a program that provides free meals to all students in participating schools, regardless of individual student income, by using a combination of state and federal funds. The goal appears to be reducing hunger and ensuring that more children have access to nutritious meals during the school day, particularly in states willing to invest additional resources into their school lunch programs.