# 119-s-1431: School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act 119-s-1431, School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1431 - As of: 2025-12-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-1431 - Congress: 119 - Title: School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-04-10 - Sponsor: Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA) - Cosponsors: 0 - Policy area: Agriculture and Food - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2025-12-21 ## 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. - 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.* ## Provisions PRIA read - State projects for free school meals: benefit, high. 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 identifi… - Automatic free meals for more kids: benefit, medium. 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… - Higher free-meal multiplier for schools: benefit, medium. 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 me… - Keep kids' meal benefits after moves: benefit, medium. 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 dist… - Deadlines and reporting for certification: benefit, low. 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 h… - Grants to improve direct certification: benefit, low. 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… ## Related bills - 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act - 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act - 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025 - 119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025 - 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026 - 119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026 ## Sources - [119-s-1431 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1431) ## Related - [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022) - [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819) - [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541) - [119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1507) - [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597) - [119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4504) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1431 (as of 2025-12-21).