House Ways and Means Committee proposes cutting funding for school nutrition programsHouse Ways and Means Committee proposes cutting funding for school nutrition programs

This week, the Federal House Ways and Means Committee proposed slashing school nutrition funding. At the state level, a string of states have introduced universal free school meals bills, while lunch shaming and artificial food dyes in school food products are once again in the spotlight. 

Here’s the latest in school nutrition legislation. 

House Ways and Means Committee proposes to cut funding from school nutrition programs

The House Ways and Means Committee has recommended to slash funding for school breakfast and lunch in an upcoming Reconciliation bill. The committee has proposed cutting $12 billion from school meal funding over the next 10 years. In addition, the proposal would require income documentation from families applying for free or reduced-price meals and would raise the threshold required for schools to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

Established through the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, CEP allows participating schools and districts with a high level of low-income students to serve meals to all students for free, regardless of their family income.

Schools and districts can only qualify for the program if they have an identified student percentage (ISP) of at least 25%. The ISP is the percentage of the student body that is eligible for free meals at school due to their families’ participation in federal benefits programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under the Committee’s proposal, the ISP would be raised from 25% to 60%. This would make over 24,000 schools no longer eligible to participate in the program, according to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

Alaska, Missouri and Oregon look to implement universal free school meal programs

Lawmakers in Alaska, Missouri and Oregon have each introduced bills that would establish Universal free School meal programs in their respective states. 

In Alaska, Representative Maxine Dibert introduced HB 12 which would provide free breakfast and lunch to every student each day at school. The bill has been referred to the Education Committee. 

In Missouri, HB 998 would also provide free meals daily at school to all students regardless of their family’s income level. 

In addition, Oregon’s HB 3312 would also provide free breakfast and lunch to students each day at school. Like Alaska’s HB12, the bill has been referred to the Education Committee.

Rhode Island lawmakers go after artificial food dye in school meals

Rhode Island lawmakers are cracking down on artificial dyes used in school meals. HB 5515 would ban several food dyes, including blue dye No. 1, blue dye No. 2 and green dye No. 3 from being used in school meal products. If signed into law, the bill would go into effect at the start of 2027. 

This is the latest instance of lawmakers putting additives in school meals in the spotlight. Earlier this month, lawmakers in Arizona and New York introduced bills that would ban certain additives such as blue dye No. 1 from meals. 

In November, lawmakers in Texas introduced HB 1290 which would ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, azodicarbonamide, butylated hydroxyanisole and titanium dioxide in free or reduced-price school meals throughout the state. 

In addition, California Governor Gavin Newsome signed A.B. 2316 into law last September which bans the use of red dye No. 40, yellow dye No. 5, yellow dye No. 6, blue dye No. 1, blue dye No. 2 and green dye No. 3. from being used in public school meals. 

The FDA also recently banned the additive red dye No. 3 from inclusion in food and beverages. 

New Hampshire bill would ban lunch shaming in the state 

A new bill in New Hampshire would require schools in the state to provide school lunch and breakfast to students even if they’re behind on meal payments. If passed, HB 703 would prevent schools from stigmatizing students in any way who have accumulated meal debt. In addition, the bill would direct the New Hampshire Department of Education to cover unpaid meal debts in the state. 

Meal debt has been an obstacle for many nutrition programs since the June 2022 expiration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) summer meal waivers, which allowed schools across the country to feed all kids for free.

According to a new survey by the School Nutrition Association, which included responses from 1,390 school meal program directors nationwide, a vast majority (96.8%) of school districts that must charge for meals reported challenges with unpaid meal debt, with over two-thirds citing meal debt as a “significant challenge."

The SNA called on Congress to address growing meal debt as part of its 2025 position paper.