Free Breakfast and Lunch for Every Public School Student
Free Breakfast and Lunch for Every Public School Student
IntroducedMay 11, 2026
Introduced3 months ago
Intro
House
Senate
Pres
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Agriculture and Food
Why This Matters
This bill would make breakfast and lunch free for every K-12 student in a participating public school, regardless of family income, by removing the eligibility application from federal school meal programs.
If you have school-age kids or work in K-12, this bill would replace the income-tiered school meal system with universal free breakfast and lunch and wipe out existing meal debt. The bill itself does not name a funding source, so the cost would have to be appropriated separately. With only 3 Democratic sponsors so far and a Republican-controlled House, it is unlikely to advance without significant changes.
Who this affects
K-12 public school students · Families of students · School districts and food staff · Federal taxpayers
What changes is this bill making?
1Makes every student in a participating school eligible for free breakfast and free lunch, regardless of family income.
2Eliminates the reduced-price meal tier and the income-based application process for student meals.
3Extends free meals to afterschool snack programs, summer food service, and child and adult care food programs.
4Sets federal reimbursement rates to schools at $4.63 per lunch and $2.80 per breakfast, adjusted annually for inflation.
5Prohibits schools from collecting existing school meal debts immediately upon enactment.
6Takes effect one year after being signed into law.
7Introduced May 11, 2026 by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) with cosponsors Reps. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) and Darren Soto (D-FL). Currently in the House Education and Workforce Committee.
