Bill > HR5655

This bill, titled the "No Shame at School Act of 2025," amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to address unpaid school meal fees and reduce stigma associated with students who cannot pay for meals. The bill transforms the current discretionary certification process into a mandatory one, requiring local educational agencies to directly certify students from households with unpaid meal fees for free or reduced-price meals. It also mandates retroactive reimbursement for meal claims, allowing schools to revise previously submitted claims to reflect a student's eligibility for free or reduced-price meals retroactively to the start of the current school year. The bill significantly restricts how schools can handle students with unpaid meal fees, prohibiting practices that might stigmatize children, such as physically segregating them, using special tokens or tickets, announcing their names, or withholding educational opportunities. Schools are now required to communicate about unpaid fees directly with parents or guardians, not the children, and are forbidden from using debt collectors or taking away already-served food. The legislation aims to ensure that students are not embarrassed or penalized for their family's financial difficulties and can continue to receive nutritious meals without shame or interruption.

Education

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5655/all-info