NJ school lunch bills that expand free meals for K-12 kids signed into law – NorthJersey.com

Two bills that expand and promote access to free meals for schoolchildren in middle-income households were signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday as part of a response to food insecurity in New Jersey that was laid bare by the pandemic.
Both laws will take effect during the next school year, starting in September 2023.
The Working Class Families’ Anti-Hunger Act will provide free school breakfasts and lunches to those students that qualify.
The second bill – which Murphy jokingly referred to as the “get the word out” act – builds upon an existing law that requires schools to create public education and promotion campaigns to inform families and communities about the availability of these programs.
Both laws work to pick up after a pandemic-era federal program that provided universal free lunches in schools across the nation ended earlier this year.
“There’s a stigma to receiving free food and lunch,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, speaking on Friday at South Amboy Elementary school where the announcement was made. “We are taking a big and important step today.”
This would mean a saving of $1,260 in school meal costs for families, said Coughlin, saving them around 22% in overall food costs every year. About 26,000 more students would qualify for free meals, he said.
“Millions of New Jersey residents experienced unemployment during the pandemic meaning more faced food insecurity as a result, many are still struggling to keep up with their bills,” Coughlin said.
The new laws are “sending a signal to the federal government that free universal lunch programs are critical,” and that the federal poverty limit needs to be expanded while also considering the cost of living in different states, said Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz.
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Currently, New Jersey’s public schools are required to provide free meals to children from low-income families. The new law expands that eligibility to middle-income families, by increasing the income limit for eligible families. Low-income households have an income that is less than or equals 185% of the federal poverty limit, a number fixed by the federal government. The new law raises this limit to families that fall between 186% and 200% of the federal poverty limit in New Jersey.
Schools will also be required to provide free breakfast if at least 10% of students qualify for free and reduced meals. Currently, 20% of students need to qualify for free meals for schools to provide the free breakfasts.
The Act will also require schools that already offer free lunches and breakfasts to expand that offering to all their middle-income students. This includes emergency meal distribution programs that were operated during the pandemic when schools were closed, and a “breakfast after the bell” program that serves a morning meal during the first few minutes of school.
The estimated price tag for the additional free meals is $19.4 million. The state will provide funding to schools to reimburse their costs. States are required to pay for the difference between the federal allocation for reduced price meals and the school district’s total cost.
The second law, which requires school districts, schools, or third-party providers to create pamphlets and other promotions about free meal programs in two of the most common languages spoken by the school population, is expected to save the state $75,000 annually after a one-time initial cost.

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