# 119-s-5318: Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2026

119-s-5318, Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-27).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5318
- As of: 2026-08-27
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5318
- Congress: 119
- Title: Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Agriculture and Food
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-27

## Summary

**This bill would create a federal grant program to keep school libraries open at summer meal sites and fund summer early reading programs.** It focuses on prekindergarten through 3rd grade students who are reading below grade level or at risk of doing so. - Families and students: Eligible sites must offer summer reading programs of at least 6 weeks in school libraries and give PreK-3 students access to books and literacy activities. A site is eligible only if at least 50% of its PreK-3 students are reading below or are at risk of reading below grade level. - Libraries and community partners: Grants must keep school libraries accessible during summer meal service and fund partnerships, staff training, and program materials to deliver literacy activities at those sites. - States and local educational agencies (LEAs): The Secretary of Education would award competitive grants to State library administrative agencies (SLAAs) that subgrant LEAs, with priorities for high-need LEAs and awards based on sites and students served. The program authorizes $5.0 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031. *Authorizes $5.0 million annually for 2027-2031, totaling $25.0 million; if appropriated, this would increase federal spending by that amount.*

## Cosponsors (4)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Federal grants for summer reading: benefit, low. This bill would create a competitive federal grant program to keep school libraries open at summer meal sites. It would authorize $5,000,000 each year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The Department of Education would award grants to State library agencies. Those state agencies would be required…
- Which schools and programs qualify: benefit, low. This bill would let a district get subgrants only if a school serves summer lunch through federal meal programs and at least 50% of its preK–3 students are below or at risk of grade-level reading. Funded programs would run at least six weeks in the summer and give students access to the school libr…
- State selection and reporting rules: benefit, low. This bill would require State library agencies to apply to the Department of Education and explain how they will pick and notify local districts for subgrants. State applications must include priorities, minimum library hours, and plans to favor districts with high student-to-site need. State agenc…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5318 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5318)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5318 (as of 2026-08-27).