HR 6795

The School Modernization and Efficient Access to Lunches for Students Act of 2025 aims to improve how schools provide free and reduced-price meals to students. It does this primarily by expanding the use of ‘direct certification,’ a process that automatically enrolls eligible students in meal programs without requiring individual applications. The bill provides grants and technical assistance to states and tribal organizations to increase direct certification rates, particularly for students receiving assistance through other programs like SNAP. It also extends the timeframe for schools to participate in the ‘community eligibility option,’ which allows schools in high-poverty areas to offer free meals to all students, and strengthens reporting requirements for states that are working to improve their direct certification efforts.