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# Universal School Meals Program Act of 2023 This bill makes school breakfast and lunch free for all children in participating schools, eliminating income-based eligibility requirements. Currently, only low-income students qualify for free meals while others pay reduced or full prices; this legislation extends free meals to every enrolled student regardless of family income. The bill establishes federal reimbursement rates of $2.80 per free breakfast and $4.63 per free lunch, with annual adjustments for inflation. Schools that source at least 25 percent of meals from local farms receive additional payments. The law also expands free meals to summer programs, afterschool care, and child care facilities. Schools are prohibited from collecting unpaid meal debt and from using shame-based practices like special meal tickets or public lists of students with debt. The legislation affects roughly 130,000 public schools and millions of students nationwide. It becomes effective one year after enactment, giving schools time to prepare. The bill includes a separate program to reimburse schools for existing unpaid meal debt accumulated before the law takes effect, with reimbursements to be completed within 180 days of the effective date. The bill also changes how schools identify low-income students for other education programs. Rather than using free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility, schools will use a new poverty measure based on census data, welfare assistance, or medical assistance participation. This change affects funding formulas for various federal education programs serving disadvantaged students.

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