Center for Policy Analysis and Research Health Equity
August 2026
Keeping Kids Fed School Meals In The Wake Of Snap Cuts By: Desha Holden-Nelson, MPH John R. Lewis Social Justice Fellow
The Issue
Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) eligibility restrictions enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) are expected to reduce or eliminate benefits for nearly 2 million children across the U.S. As of March 2026, SNAP participation is down 10%. The program has lost approximately 4.7 million participants over the past year, with greater declines expected as states enact expanded work requirements by January 1, 2027. In addition to benefits that aid food security at home, SNAP participation is linked to free school meals. Children experiencing food insecurity face challenges with concentration and academic performance. These early disadvantages can persist into adulthood, increasing the risk of limiting educational attainment, and reducing economic mobility. To improve food security at school, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows schools and school districts to opt into partial reimbursement for free breakfast and lunch for all students when 25% or more of the student population is SNAP eligible —without collecting eligibility applications. Currently, 74% of eligible schools across the country take advantage of the program. However, due to SNAP eligibility changes and budget cuts, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 96,000 children will lose access to these meals per month.
HOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY AT LOCAL SCHOOLS Here are ways you can stay informed about local school meal access and ensure youth in your community have the nutrition necessary to thrive in school.
Visit your local school district’s website to learn how your local school district addresses food insecurity during school hours by accessing school board meeting agendas, schedules, and public notice boards. Find out which schools in your district have an active Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) status to learn if free meals are being provided schoolwide in your community. Visit the food services or nutrition webpages to understand free and reduced-price meals application procedures and direct certification rules.
Contact your school district leadership directly to find out if schools in your district are at risk of losing the 25% of SNAP eligible enrollees required to maintain an active CEP status. If schools lose their CEP status, students eligible for reduced price meals will be required to pay for school meals.
Identify and partner with local food banks working directly with schools to reduce food insecurity for youth.
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HOW STATES CAN IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AT SCHOOL
Universal Free School Meals is the best practice to ensure food security for students. California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont currently fund universal free breakfast and lunch across K-12 public schools. These programs are funded via state general funds, targeted tax measures (i.e. equity taxes on high earners), and federal reimbursements from the National School Lunch Program.
Conduct Robust and Comprehensive Direct Certification this School Year: Before SNAP restrictions are enacted in 2027, school districts should have families directly certify eligibility to ensure children have access to meals all school year, even if household eligibility changes during the school year.
Expand Access to School, Summer, and Afterschool Meals: All eligible schools should implement CEP to ensure access to school meals for as many children as possible. Schools already participating in CEP should reevaluate their eligibility to extend current reimbursement rates before SNAP cost shifts go into effect.
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STATE RESPONSE Below is some of the most recent legislation that states have introduced or passed to increase access to K-12 school meals as of July 3, 2026. Find your state’s most recent actions on the list to learn how policymakers are working to address food insecurity for students in your community. State
Recent Legislative Action
Alabama
SB 113 funds universal breakfast at CEP schools (introduced 01/2026)
Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware
Florida
Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky
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HB12 provides universal free school meals (introduced 01/2025) HB 2213 provides $3.8M in one-time funding (FY26) to eliminate fees for reduced-price meals (introduced 01/2025) SB 59 provides free breakfast to any child upon request without income verification (introduced 01/2025) AB 130 provides universal free school meals since 2021 DC-M participant: SB22-087 provides universal free school meals since 2022 HB 5537 imposes a sugar tax to fund universal free school meals (introduced 03/2026) HB 91 funds free breakfast for all student at schools participating in the School Breakfast Program (introduced 4/2025) HB 1501 requires all eligible schools participate in National School Lunch Program & School Breakfast Program; prohibits schools from using 3rd party debt collectors for school meal debt (introduced 01/2026) HB 60 provides free school meals to students who qualify for reduced-price meals (introduced 01/2025) SB 1300 provides free meals to students who qualify for reduced-price lunch; expands free meal coverage to household incomes up to 300% FPL (introduced 1/2025) no legislation found SB 1419 provides $67M to fund previously passed universal free meals legislation (introduced 01/2025) no legislation found no legislation found HB 2402 requires CEP eligible school districts to consider joining the CEP program (introduced 03/2025) no legislation found
Status
State Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon
Recent Legislative Action HB 218 requires public school to screen students for food insecurity and provide resource navigation to families (introduced 02/2026)
Status
LD 1691 provides universal free school meals since 2021 SB 0586 provides CEP schools with funding to support participation in CEP and guarantees ongoing annual $10M to support participation (introduced 02/2026) FY24 Budget provides universal free school meals since 2023 SB 173 provides budget appropriations for free universal school meals; repeated appropriations since 2023 HF 5 provides universal free school meals since 2023 HB 441 provides free meals to students who qualify for reduced-price meals (introduced 01/2026) HB 1662 provides universal free meals to all public school students (introduced 12/2025) HB 551 eliminates co-pays for reduced price school meals (introduced 02/2025) vetoed by Governor LB 966 funds a 5-year pilot to provide free meals for students eligible for reduced price meals (introduced 02/2025) AB 268 provides free universal school meals (introduced 02/2025) HB 1499 raises free and reduced school meal eligibility to 200% FPL (introduced 02/2025) A3882 requires public schools to make the subsidized school meals application and resources highly visible online (introduced 01/2026) SB 4 provides universal free school meals since 2023 FY26 Executive Budget funds free universal school meals since 2025 HB 713 provides universal free school meals (introduced 04/2025) HB 1624 provides free school meals for public school students (introduced 01/2026) HB 97 provides free school meals upon request; prohibits retaliation for unpaid school meal balances (introduced 02/2025) SB 1373 provides free school meals upon request (introduced 02/2025) SB 1581 provides universal free school meals (introduced 02/2026)
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State Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee
Texas
Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Washington, D.C
Recent Legislative Action SB 180 provides universal free school meals (introduced 05/2025) HB 8166 phases in universal free school meals over 3 years (introduced 02/2025) S 425 requires all schools to provide justification for not participating in CEP; prohibits retaliation against students for meal debt (introduced 04/2025) HB 1082 provides free school meals to students who qualify for reduced-price meals (introduced 01/2026) DC-M participated; SB 0740 provides free school meals to students who qualify for reduced-price meals (introduced 02/2025) SB 1 appropriates $19.8M to provide free school meals for students eligible for reduced-price meals for 2 school years (introduced 01/2025) SB 180 raises eligibility for free and reduced-price school meals to 200% FPL and imposes liquor tax to fund meals (introduced 01/2026)
Status
H 165 provides universal free school meals since 2023 SB 4 provides free breakfast upon request (introduced 11/2025) SB 6346 imposes 9.9% tax on individual incomes over $1M to fund universal school meals and other education and health care initiatives (introduced 03/2026) HB 5118 mandates all eligible schools participate in CEP (introduced 02/2026) AB 48 reimburses public and private schools that provide free school meals (introduced 02/2025) no legislation found B26-0108 provides universal free school meals and after school snacks to public, charter, and participating private schools (introduced 01/2025)
Data is current through July 3, 2026
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KEY CEP: Community Eligibility Provision FLP = Federal Poverty Level Passed Failed States that provide universal free school meals
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For more information on changes to SNAP eligibility and program structure created by the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1), please read SNAPPED: How Federal Changes to SNAP Benefits will Impact Black Families.