Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) have introduced two bills to expand access to free and reduced-price meals for millions of students.

The School Hunger Elimination Act expands NSLP and SBP direct certification for all school-age children receiving Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.

  • The legislation also increases the community eligibility provision (CEP) reimbursement multiplier from 1.6 to 2.5 and allows school groupings across districts and statewide.
  • In addition, the bill extends the period for retroactive reimbursements to the start of the school year.

The Nutrition Red Tape Reduction Act would permanently lower the threshold for schools to participate in community eligibility to 25 percent Identified Student Percentage (ISP), ensuring that thousands of schools are eligible to participate.

Stay tuned! SNA will monitor the progress of these bills as they are discussed in the Senate. Don’t forget to use SNA’s Action Network to see what other bills have been introduced in Congress and learn how you can advocate for school nutrition programs.

Related Articles