New Jersey lawmakers advance 2 child nutrition bills

The New Jersey Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee recently advanced two bills concerning child nutrition.

The first bill, named the Working Class Families’ Anti-Hunger Act, would require districts in the state to provide free school lunch to all students if over 5% of their student body is eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Schools would also have to offer free breakfast to all students if more than 20% of their student body is eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

The second bill would direct the state's Department of Education and Department of Agriculture to develop and launch a public education campaign aimed at educating parents and guardians about the availability of school meals in New Jersey. The campaign would include promotional materials and resources such as webinars and pamphlets.