School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act
Sponsored By: Senator John Fetterman
Introduced
Summary
This bill would expand direct certification so more children automatically receive free or reduced-price school meals by linking schools to Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, housing, and child-welfare data and by funding outreach and pilots.
Show full summary
- Families and children: More students would be certified without applying, including children on Medicaid (families at or below 133% of the poverty line), children receiving SSI, foster children, those in kinship guardianship or adoption assistance, and children in certain low-income housing. The bill also requires schools to honor prior eligibility when students transfer and allows retroactive reimbursement and household refunds for meals paid before a change in eligibility.
- States, local education agencies, and Tribal organizations: Requires data-sharing agreements with State Medicaid agencies and the Social Security Administration to certify children automatically. Creates Direct Certification Improvement Grants and technical assistance with a $28.0 million Treasury transfer on October 1, 2025, prioritizing States and Tribes with low certification rates.
- Program rules and pilots: Adjusts the Community Eligibility multiplier to 2.5 starting July 1, 2025. Authorizes statewide universal free-meal demonstrations in up to 5 States with initial payments set at 1.9 times the identified-student percentage and $3.0 million authorized for demos, with a report due September 30, 2030.
*If enacted, this bill would increase federal spending by about $31.0 million through a $28.0 million transfer and $3.0 million in authorized demonstration funds.*
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
State projects for free school meals
If enacted, the Education Secretary would run up to five State demonstration projects that give all students free breakfast and lunch. Projects must start no later than the first day of the 2026–2027 school year. In year one, the special federal payment would equal 1.9 times the prior-year identified-student percentage, capped at 100 percent. Each selected State must provide non‑Federal money so local districts get the free reimbursement rate for at least 90 percent of meals. The Treasury would transfer $3 million on October 1, 2026 to evaluate the projects through September 30, 2030.
Automatic free meals for more kids
If enacted, State and local education agencies would have to directly certify more children for free school meals. New required groups include children placed with caregivers by child‑welfare or Tribal agencies, children receiving adoption or kinship guardianship assistance, children in certain low‑income or Native housing programs, and children who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These children would be automatically certified for free school meals without separate household applications.
Higher free-meal multiplier for schools
If enacted, the Community Eligibility Option multiplier would be set to 2.5 for school years starting on or after July 1, 2025. Identified students would be counted using a period beginning April 1 of the prior school year through that school's last day. These changes could increase the share of meals a school counts as free and lower meal costs for families at participating schools.
Keep kids' meal benefits after moves
If enacted, when a child moves to a school in a new district, the new district would have to honor the old free or reduced‑price meal eligibility. If the child began living with a qualifying relative caregiver within the past 12 months and that caregiver has legal authority or custody, the new district would extend eligibility one extra year. The bill would also let schools resubmit meal claims for eligibility changes back to the first day of the school year and requires schools to return meal fees families paid during that retroactive period.
Deadlines and reporting for certification
If enacted, the bill would require a named direct certification measure to be completed in not more than three school years. It would also require certain identified States to include descriptions of technical assistance and progress in a required report. These changes aim to speed up and improve how automatic school meal certification is carried out and tracked.
Grants to improve direct certification
If enacted, the Secretary would run a grant program to help States and Tribal groups improve automatic school meal certification. The Treasury would transfer $28 million on October 1, 2025 to carry out the grants. At least $2 million must be used for Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations work and no more than $3 million may be used for technical assistance. Funds would remain available until spent.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Fetterman
PA • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in