Feed Our Kids Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
Introduced
Summary
Universal free school meals for students in participating schools. This bill would expand free breakfasts and lunches, set national payment rates and annual inflation adjustments, ban meal shaming and debt collection for meal charges, and add incentives for locally sourced foods.
Show full summary
- Students and families would get guaranteed meals and protection from public identification or segregation over unpaid meal charges. Eligibility and outreach shift from free or reduced-price labels to an "economically disadvantaged" standard under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
- Schools would receive set national average payments of $2.80 per free breakfast and $4.63 per free lunch, with those rates adjusted for inflation each year.
- Afterschool and summer feeding programs expand to more providers, include caps on meals per day, and gain a local farm-product incentive for items produced in-state or within 250 miles. Some programs also get a per-meal supplement of $1.20.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Free afterschool and summer meals
If enacted, the Child and Adult Care Food Program would expand to cover private, nonresidential afterschool and day care providers and require meals to be free to participants. Those providers would be reimbursed at the free breakfast and free lunch rates and receive a $1.20 per-meal supplement adjusted for inflation. The Afterschool Meal and Snack Program would limit reimbursed meals to 1 meal and 1 supplement per child on regular school days and up to 3 meals and 1 supplement per child on other days. Summer meal sites would also be expanded and could be paid for meals during May through September and certain non-school days. These rules would take effect one year after enactment.
Free school meals and payments
If enacted, schools in the federal breakfast and lunch programs would give free breakfast and free lunch to every enrolled child. The bill would set the national average payment at $2.80 per free breakfast and $4.63 per free lunch, adjusted each year using the CPI for food away from home and rounded down to the nearest cent. States would have to disburse apportioned breakfast funds to schools selected by the State educational agency. The law would also remove statutory references to "reduced price." These changes would start one year after enactment.
End meal shaming and debt
If enacted, the bill would bar schools from publicly shaming students over unpaid meals and from collecting unpaid meal or supplement charges in participating programs. The ban on collecting debt would take effect on the date of enactment; lunch and afterschool shaming bans would take effect one year after enactment. The bill would also require the Agriculture Secretary to set up a Delinquent Debt Reimbursement Program within 60 days after the Act's effective date and to reimburse schools within 180 days for delinquent meal debt owed on that effective date. The Comptroller General must report on the program to Congress within two years.
Repeal of special assistance program
If enacted, Section 11 of the National School Lunch Act (the Special Assistance Program) would be repealed one year after enactment. That would remove the statutory authority for that program and related legal supports. Schools or local meal providers that relied on the program could lose that source of help.
Targeting and training for school meals
If enacted, the bill would limit pilot projects and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants to high-need schools using the ESEA "economically disadvantaged" measure. State agencies would have to notify eligible high-need schools, including Tribal schools, before participation decisions. The bill would also replace language about "certified to receive free or reduced price meals" with the ESEA "economically disadvantaged" standard in training and technical assistance rules. These changes would take effect one year after enactment.
Extra pay for locally sourced meals
If enacted, States could certify school food authorities that used at least 25% locally sourced farm products last school year. Certified authorities would get extra pay per free meal: $0.30 per lunch or supper, $0.21 per breakfast, and $0.08 per supplement. Each amount would be adjusted annually for inflation and rounded down. "Locally sourced" means the product was grown in-state or within 250 miles. These rules would start one year after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
Soto
FL • D
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]
CO • D
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov