Louisville City Wire

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 26, 2023) – On April 10th, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) introduced his first bill, H.R. 2567, the School Meals Expansion Act, which amends the National School Lunch Act’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to allow more schools to provide free meals to every student they serve. This legislation will reduce student hunger by lowering the eligibility threshold for participation in the CEP and increasing federal reimbursement rates for school meals. These changes will reduce administrative burdens for schools and lower the stigma that students face.

“No child should ever go hungry in the richest country on earth,” said Rep. McGarvey. “My bill works toward ensuring every kid has a free, healthy meal at school. Expanding free school meals isn’t just the smart thing to do — it’s the right thing and an important step toward combating food insecurity in Jefferson County and across the country. The School Meals Expansion Act is going to keep kids full and ready to focus, and I’m proud to introduce this bill and join efforts to improve child nutrition.”

The National School Lunch Program and National School Breakfast Program provide free and reduced-price meals to students from low-income homes. In the program’s current form, if 40 percent or more of students in a school or district automatically qualify for free school meals (e.g., through their family’s participation in SNAP, TANF, or a similar qualifying program), then every student in the school or district may qualify for free meals under the National School Lunch Act’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) if the school or district elects to participate. The School Meals Expansion Act will lower the threshold for the CEP from 40 percent to 25 percent, allowing more children to qualify for free meals. The bill also increases the federal reimbursement for school meals, making it easier for under-resourced schools to administer the program. 

“We applaud Rep. Morgan McGarvey for introducing the School Meals Expansion Act which would expand community eligibility and allow more eligible high-need schools to offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge, " said Luis Guardia, President of Food Research & Action Center. “Community eligibility allows all children in the school to experience the educational and health benefits linked to participation in school meals, simplifies program operations, and eliminates school meal debt, creating a win-win for children, families, and schools.  We urge Congress to move forward and enact this important legislation.”

“Save the Children supports the School Meals Expansion Act knowing that lowering the threshold and increasing the multiplier factor will greatly expand access to school meals for children,” said Roy Chrobocinski, Managing Director of Government Relations for Save the Children. “As Save the Children programming is exclusively in rural communities, we see firsthand how powerful and helpful the community eligibility provision can be for rural school districts, giving them more financial flexibility to provide for the children they serve.”

"In addition to increasing the threshold of how many schools can participate in CEP, the School Meals Expansion Act includes a key provision to help our programs afford the cost of those free meals for students by increasing the multiplier of meals eligible for the higher federal reimbursement rate," said School Nutrition Association President, Lori Adkins, MS, SNS, CHE.  "Our members have been steadfast in support of initiatives to increase access to healthy school meals for all students and appreciate the efforts of Rep. McGarvey and members of Congress in moving this forward."

Co-sponsors of the School Meals Expansion Act include Reps. Becca Balint (VT-00), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Grace Meng (NY-06), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Adam Smith (WA-09), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12). 

Endorsing organizations include The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, Association of School Business Officials International, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Community Farm Alliance, the Education Trust, Feeding Kentucky, Food Research & Action Center, FoodCorps, Hunger Free Colorado, Kentucky Parent Teacher Association, Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, Kentucky Equal Justice Center, Kentucky Voices for Health, Kentucky Youth Advocates, National Association of Social Workers, National Education Association, National Parent Teacher Association, Save the Children, School Nutrition Association, and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign.

Original source can be found here