[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7542 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7542
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to make
lunches free for all children and to reimburse school meal delinquent
debt, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2026
Mr. Krishnamoorthi introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to make
lunches free for all children and to reimburse school meal delinquent
debt, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Kids Need Lunch
Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Effective date.
TITLE I--FREE LUNCHES
Sec. 101. Apportionment to States.
Sec. 102. Nutritional and other program requirements.
Sec. 103. Price for a paid lunch.
TITLE II--ADDRESSING SCHOOL MEAL DEBT
Sec. 201. Reimbursement of school meal delinquent debt program.
Sec. 202. No collection of debt.
SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
Unless otherwise provided, this Act, and the amendments made by
this Act, shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act.
TITLE I--FREE LUNCHES
SEC. 101. APPORTIONMENT TO STATES.
Section 4(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
(42 U.S.C. 1753(b)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) Payment amounts.--
``(A) In general.--The national average payment for
each free lunch shall be $4.86, adjusted annually for
inflation in accordance with subparagraph (B) and
rounded in accordance with subparagraph (C).
``(B) Inflation adjustment.--
``(i) In general.--The annual inflation
adjustment under subparagraph (A) shall reflect
changes in the cost of operating the free lunch
program under this Act, as indicated by the
change in the Consumer Price Index for food
away from home for all urban consumers.
``(ii) Basis.--Each annual inflation
adjustment under subparagraph (A) shall reflect
the changes in the Consumer Price Index for
food away from home for the most recent 12-
month period for which that data is available.
``(C) Rounding.--On July 1, 2027, and annually
thereafter, the national average payment rate for free
lunch shall be--
``(i) adjusted to the nearest lower-cent
increment; and
``(ii) based on the unrounded amounts for
the preceding 12-month period.''; and
(2) by striking paragraph (3).
SEC. 102. NUTRITIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Elimination of Free Lunch Eligibility Requirements.--
(1) In general.--Section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)) is amended to
read as follows:
``(b) Free Lunches.--All children enrolled in a school that
participates in the school lunch program under this Act shall be
eligible to receive free lunch under this Act.''.
(2) Provisions applicable to free and reduced price
breakfasts.--In the case of free or reduced price school
breakfasts under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C.
1771), subsection (b) of section 9 of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758), as in effect on the
day before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall apply.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758) is amended--
(A) in subsection (c), in the third sentence, by
striking ``or at a reduced cost''; and
(B) in subsection (e), by striking ``, reduced
price,''.
(2) Paragraph (2) of section 11(a) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)) is
repealed.
(3) Clauses (i) and (ii) of section 11(a)(3)(A) of the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1759a(a)(3)(A)) are repealed.
(4) Section 28 of the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769i) is amended--
(A) by striking subsection (b); and
(B) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection
(b).
SEC. 103. PRICE FOR A PAID LUNCH.
Section 12 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1760) is amended--
(1) in subsection (l)(4)--
(A) by striking subparagraph (D); and
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (M)
as subparagraphs (D) through (L), respectively;
(2) by striking subsection (p); and
(3) by redesignating subsections (q) and (r) as subsections
(p) and (q), respectively.
TITLE II--ADDRESSING SCHOOL MEAL DEBT
SEC. 201. REIMBURSEMENT OF SCHOOL MEAL DELINQUENT DEBT PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Delinquent debt.--The term ``delinquent debt'' means
the debt owed by a parent or guardian of a child to a school--
(A) as of the effective date specified in section
2; and
(B) for meals served by the school under the school
lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
(2) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program
established under subsection (b)(1).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(b) Reimbursement Program.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the
effective date specified in section 2, the Secretary shall
establish a program under which the Secretary shall reimburse
each school participating in the school lunch program
established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) for all delinquent debt.
(2) Form for reimbursement.--To carry out the program, the
Secretary shall design and distribute a form to State agencies
to collect data on all delinquent debt in applicable schools in
the State, grouped by school food authority.
(3) Completion date.--The Secretary shall provide all
reimbursements under the program not later than 180 days after
the effective date specified in section 2.
(c) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the effective date
specified in section 2, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report that
describes the successes and challenges of the program.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
SEC. 202. NO COLLECTION OF DEBT.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of the Richard
B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) or any
other provision of law, effective beginning on the date of enactment of
this Act, as a condition of participation in the school lunch program
under that Act, a school--
(1) shall not collect any debt owed to the school for
unpaid lunch charges; and
(2) shall continue to accrue debt for unpaid lunch
charges--
(A) for the purpose of receiving reimbursement
under section 201; and
(B) until the effective date specified in section
2.
(b) National School Lunch Act Amendment.--Section 9 of the Richard
B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758) is amended by
striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
``(d) No Collection of Debt.--A school participating in the school
lunch program under this Act shall not collect any debt owed to the
school for unpaid lunch charges.''.
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