This bill, the Feed Our Kids Act of 2026, would change federal child nutrition laws so that breakfasts and lunches are free for all children enrolled in schools that participate in the programs. It amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The bill sets national average payment rates per free meal (breakfast $2.80; lunch $4.63) and requires those rates to be adjusted yearly for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for food away from home. It removes the reduced-price category and makes various related program changes, including extra payments for meals made with locally-sourced farm products, broader summer and afterschool meal eligibility, and free meals in certain child and adult care settings.
The bill also prohibits schools and school food authorities from collecting unpaid meal charges or physically shaming students for meal debt. It requires states to disburse funds to schools selected to operate breakfast programs, and it adds reporting and pilot project provisions. The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to reimburse schools for delinquent meal debt through a program with set timelines and asks the Food and Nutrition Service to report on program impacts.
The bill’s provisions and required reports indicate supporters want to increase student access to nutritious meals, remove stigma tied to meal debt, simplify program eligibility, encourage use of locally sourced foods, and study whether free school meals improve academic and other outcomes.
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