Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to permit States to offer a statewide Community Eligibility Program (CEP) beginning July 1, 2025.
Liberal emphasizes child hunger relief and destigmatization
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused statutory amendment that creates a statewide community eligibility option by modifying calculation and threshold rules within the National School Lunch Act.
This bill amends the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act to permit States to offer a statewide Community Eligibility Program (CEP) beginning July 1, 2025.
If a State agency agrees to provide non‑Federal funding so local educational agencies receive the free reimbursement rate for 100 percent of meals at applicable schools, the bill applies the CEP multiplier, sets the CEP identified‑student threshold to zero, and calculates the identified‑student percentage across all applicable schools statewide.
Modest likelihood: narrowly tailored and practical, but dependent on committee action, budget implications for states, and packaging in larger bills.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused statutory amendment that creates a statewide community eligibility option by modifying calculation and threshold rules within the National School Lunch Act.
Liberal emphasizes child hunger relief and destigmatization
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Liberal emphasizes child hunger relief and destigmatization
Likely strongly supportive.
The proposal expands universal free school meals access and reduces paperwork and stigma by enabling statewide CEP if states fund the non‑Federal share.
Generally favorable but cautious.
Recognizes administrative and equity benefits, while worried about fiscal consequences, state variability, and accountability for new state funding obligations.
Likely skeptical or opposed.
While the option is voluntary for States, expanding universal free meals raises concerns about cost, program expansion, and potential future federal liabilities.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Modest likelihood: narrowly tailored and practical, but dependent on committee action, budget implications for states, and packaging in larger bills.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Liberal emphasizes child hunger relief and destigmatization
Modest likelihood: narrowly tailored and practical, but dependent on committee action, budget implications for states, and packaging in lar…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused statutory amendment that creates a statewide community eligibility option by modifying calculation and threshold rules within the National School Lunch A…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.