Vermont governor signs universal free meals bill into law

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has signed S.100 into law, which will provide free school breakfast and lunch to students in the state for the upcoming school year as part of a pilot program.

The program will cost the state $29 million.

Several states including New York, North Carolina and Colorado have recently introduced legislation that would provide school meals at no cost to students.

School districts throughout the country have been able to provide universal free meals throughout the pandemic due to a series of wavers issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The waivers are set to expire at the end of this month, and as of now, Congress has not provided any funding to extend them. A number of  school nutrition professionals are worried that the waivers' absence will keep students from receiving meals and put a financial strain on nutrition programs.