No Shame at School: Ending Student Stigma Over Unpaid Meal Debt.
This legislation mandates automatic certification for free or reduced-price school meals for eligible students and ensures retroactive meal reimbursement for schools. Crucially, it bans practices that publicly shame or stigmatize children due to unpaid meal debt, such as withholding grades, using debt collectors, or taking away served food. The goal is to protect student dignity and ensure consistent access to nutrition.
Key points
Schools must proactively certify students for free meals if their household owes meal fees, ensuring continuous access to nutrition.
Bans shaming practices: Schools cannot publicly identify students with debt, segregate them, or deny them educational opportunities like grades or extracurriculars.
Prohibits taking away or disposing of food already served to a child, regardless of their family's outstanding meal balance.
Status:
Introduced
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