U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
U.S Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is proposing a program that would provide free meals to all schoolchildren regardless of income.
The Universal School Meals Program Act also would increase the reimbursement rates for participating schools.
Gillibrand said, “In the richest country on earth, it is unacceptable that millions of kids go hungry each day. The Universal School Meals Program Act would provide funding for free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack for all students and slash burdensome red tape for school administrators.”
The program would cost $11 billion. Senator Gillibrand says it’s a worthwhile investment that goes beyond the classroom, “For every dollar our country spends on school food, we get more than 2 dollars back in human health and economic benefits annually. That’s a huge return on investment that not only helps our schools and our economy but also our kids, community, and society.”
The Universal School Meals Program Act would:
1. Permanently provide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to all schoolchildren regardless of income and put an end to burdensome application paperwork that poses a barrier to enrollment in meal programs.
2. Increase the reimbursement rates for school authorities participating in the food and nutrition programs to more accurately reflect the true cost of providing meals.
3. Reduce stigma associated with meal programs by eliminating meal debt and prohibiting school food authorities from discriminating against or overtly identifying a child participating in the free meal program.
4. Expand the summer food service program and Summer EBT program by making all children eligible to participate in the programs. Currently, only communities where 50 percent of children are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch can operate a summer meals program; the Universal School Meals Program Act would make all communities eligible regardless of income.
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