Kids Need Lunch Act

The Kids Need Lunch Act (HR 7542) would make all children enrolled in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program eligible for free lunches, removing income-based eligibility requirements. It establishes a national average payment rate of $4.86 for free lunches (adjusted annually for inflation) and creates a program to reimburse schools for unpaid meal debt. Schools would no longer be allowed to collect unpaid lunch charges but could continue to accrue debt for reimbursement purposes. The bill affects public schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and requires the USDA to administer the reimbursement program within 180 days of the effective date.