Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2025
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
The Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2025 aims to significantly increase the number of students eligible for free school meals. It eliminates the reduced-price lunch and breakfast programs and raises the income eligibility threshold to 224% of the federal poverty level. The bill also establishes a system for directly certifying students for free meals based on their participation in programs like Medicaid, streamlining the application process and increasing the reimbursement multiplier for schools in high-poverty areas.
Key provisions
- Eliminates reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs.
- Increases free lunch eligibility to 224% of the federal poverty level.
- Establishes direct certification for free meals based on Medicaid participation.
- Increases the community eligibility provision multiplier to 2.5.
- Allows schools to retroactively revise meal claims to reflect updated eligibility.
- Expands the definition of an ‘eligible child’ under Medicaid eligibility for free school meals.
- Requires states to enter into agreements with state agencies conducting Medicaid eligibility determinations for direct certification.
- Provides for reimbursement for meals served to children eligible under the expanded criteria.
Who is affected
- Students in elementary and secondary schools
- School districts
- State education agencies
- Families with low incomes
Bill text
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