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119-hr-7259119th CongressWALLET

Military Dependents School Meal Eligibility Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]

Introduced

Summary

Exclude certain military housing allowances from school meal income tests would increase eligibility for free and reduced-price lunches and breakfasts for children in military households. It would also create a direct certification pathway so dependents of uniformed service members could be certified without a separate household application.

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  • Military families: Households that include a service member would have specified housing allowances, including Basic Allowance for Housing, excluded when calculating income for the National School Lunch Program and school breakfasts. That change would make more military children eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
  • Children and students: Dependents of uniformed service members could be directly certified for free or reduced-price meals, removing the need for a separate application for those children.
  • Schools and state agencies: Local school districts and state agencies would need procedures to accept and use military data for direct certification and adjust eligibility counting.
  • Federal oversight: The Secretary of Agriculture, with the Secretary of Defense, must report to Congress by October 1, 2026 on the feasibility and cost of direct certification options. The report must evaluate using data for the Basic Needs Allowance under 37 U.S.C. 402b and excluding non-service member income from household calculations.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

School meal help for military families

If enacted, this bill would stop counting Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) as household income for school meal eligibility. That exclusion would take effect upon enactment. The bill would create a direct certification path for children in military households. Those children would be certified for free or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts without a separate application. The Agriculture Secretary, with the Defense Secretary, would report to Congress by October 1, 2026 on the feasibility and cost of direct certification and on options like using Basic Needs Allowance data and excluding non-service member income.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Levin, Mike [D-CA-49]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 10/5/2026

  • Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 1/27/2026

  • Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 3/27/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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