The "Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2025" eliminates reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches, expands free meal eligibility to families with incomes up to 224% of the poverty level, and streamlines the certification process for children receiving Medicaid.
Josh Gottheimer
Representative
NJ-5
The "Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2025" aims to eliminate reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches, and expand eligibility for free meals. The bill raises the income threshold for free school lunches to 224% of the poverty level and facilitates direct certification for children receiving Medicaid benefits. It also allows schools to retroactively claim reimbursement for eligible students and increases the Community Eligibility Program multiplier to expand access to free meals in high-poverty areas.
School Meals Bill Would End Reduced Price, Expand Free Meals to 224% Poverty, Streamline Enrollment via Medicaid
The 'Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2025' proposes some major shifts in how kids get breakfast and lunch at school. It gets rid of the 'reduced price' meal category altogether, replacing it by significantly expanding eligibility for free meals. The new income cutoff for free meals would jump from the current 130% to 224% of the federal poverty level. The bill also aims to simplify enrollment, particularly for kids on Medicaid, and make it easier for high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students.
Trading Tiers for Wider Access
This bill fundamentally changes the structure of school meal programs by eliminating the middle tier – reduced-price meals (Sections 101, 102). Instead of three categories (paid, reduced, free), there would just be two: paid and free. To compensate, the eligibility for free meals gets a substantial boost. Under Section 201, the income limit rises to 224% of the federal poverty line. What does that mean? For a family of four in 2024, the poverty line is $31,200; 224% of that is roughly $69,888. This change aims to bring free school meals within reach for many more working families who might currently struggle with the cost but don't qualify under the tighter 130% threshold.
Cutting Red Tape: Easier Sign-Ups & Catching Up on Costs
Getting kids signed up for free meals should become easier, especially for those already enrolled in certain assistance programs. Section 202 mandates states set up systems for 'direct certification' through Medicaid. If a child is enrolled in Medicaid and their family income is at or below the new 224% poverty threshold, they'd automatically qualify for free school meals without needing a separate application. This direct certification already exists for programs like SNAP (food stamps) and TANF, but adding Medicaid significantly expands its reach. The bill also includes direct certification for kids receiving SSI, adoption/kinship assistance, and those identified as homeless, migrant, or foster children. These changes kick in for school years starting July 1, 2025.
Furthermore, Section 203 allows schools to claim reimbursements retroactively. If a child is approved for free meals partway through the school year, the school can adjust its claim back to the first day of that school year, ensuring they get compensated for all eligible meals served, not just those after the approval date.
Boosting Universal Free Meals: The Community Eligibility Bump
For schools in high-poverty areas, the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) allows them to offer free meals to all students without collecting individual applications. Qualification depends on the percentage of students directly certified for free meals. Section 204 gives this program a boost by increasing the 'multiplier' used in the calculation from 1.6 to 2.5, starting July 1, 2025. A higher multiplier means more schools will likely meet the threshold to participate in CEP, potentially leading to more schools offering universal free breakfast and lunch.