School Hunger Elimination: Automatic Free Meals, Retroactive Refunds, and Universal Access.
This Act significantly expands access to free school meals by mandating automatic enrollment for children receiving SSI or qualifying Medicaid benefits. It requires schools to reimburse families for meal fees paid retroactively if the child's eligibility status changes during the school year. Furthermore, it boosts federal funding for high-poverty schools, making it easier for them to provide free meals to all students.
Key points
Automatic Free Meals: Children receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or qualifying for Medicaid will be automatically certified for free or reduced-price meals without needing a separate application.
Family Reimbursement: Schools must refund families for any meal fees paid since the start of the school year if the child's eligibility status later changes to free or reduced-price meals.
Increased Universal Access: Federal funding is significantly increased for schools in high-poverty areas, encouraging more schools to offer free meals to all students in that facility.
Expired
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