This bill mandates that all public and nonpublic schools in New Jersey provide free meals to every student, regardless of their eligibility for federally subsidized meals. It introduces the term "statutorily eligible," allowing students to receive subsidized meals at no cost, and requires schools to publicize the availability of these meals. Key amendments include the removal of previous eligibility criteria based on federal income verification, thus expanding access to all students. The state will cover unreimbursed costs for providing free lunches to students who are federally ineligible, and a framework for collecting household income data is established to facilitate these provisions.

Additionally, the bill enhances school breakfast programs by requiring all public schools to provide free breakfast to all enrolled students, lowering the threshold for offering breakfast from 20% to 10% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. It mandates high-poverty schools to implement "breakfast after the bell" programs and outlines responsibilities for the Departments of Agriculture and Education in developing guidelines for these programs. The bill also includes provisions for the collection of household income data, ensuring that parents are informed about meal program availability, and establishes an emergency school meals distribution program to ensure that all students receive meals free of charge, regardless of their eligibility status.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:33-3.2, 18A:33-4, 18A:33-10, 18A:33-10.1, 18A:33-11.2, 18A:33-11.5, 18A:33-14, 18A:33-21, 18A:33-23, 18A:33-27.1, 18A:33-27.2