What’s new: Congress has passed the budget reconciliation bill that threatens school meal access for students across the country. The Senate passed the measure with a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance acting as tie-breaker. The House passed the Senate version by a vote of 218-214, sending the legislation to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
Key details: This legislation creates a domino effect that will harm children across the country.
- Fewer children are automatically eligible for free school meals as families lose SNAP and Medicaid benefits
- Increased administrative burdens on schools already struggling with staffing shortages
- Students falling through the cracks when forced into complex application processes
- Less schools enroll in Community Eligibility Provision, ending free meals for all students
- States forced to cut school nutrition programs due to budget pressures from federal cost shifts
Where things stand: Governors shared early warnings that states may not be able to continue operating SNAP following passage of this bill. As this bill is implemented and families lose access to food assistance through SNAP benefits, their children will also lose automatic eligibility for school meals, making access to nutrition more difficult or out of reach completely. Meanwhile, schools facing staff shortages and budget constraints will struggle to manage increased paperwork and application processing requirements.
What’s next: SNA is committed to school meal programs and the students relying on them. We will continue to work closely with officials, USDA and state governments to monitor the impact, request updated guidance and secure support.
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