# Summary of H.R. 3204: Universal School Meals Program Act of 2023
This bill makes breakfast and lunch free for all children in participating schools by eliminating income-based eligibility requirements. Currently, only children from low-income families qualify for free meals, while others pay reduced or full prices. Under this legislation, every enrolled student would receive free meals regardless of family income.
The bill establishes federal reimbursement rates for schools: $2.80 per free breakfast and $4.63 per free lunch, with annual adjustments for inflation. Schools serving meals with at least 25 percent locally-sourced farm products receive additional payments of $0.30 per lunch and $0.21 per breakfast. The legislation takes effect one year after enactment and also eliminates schools' ability to collect unpaid meal debt, instead creating a federal program to reimburse schools for existing delinquent meal charges within 180 days.
The bill expands free meal programs beyond the school day, including summer meals, afterschool programs, and child care facilities. It prohibits practices that shame or stigmatize children, such as using special tokens or publishing names of students with unpaid charges. Additionally, the legislation makes conforming changes across multiple federal programs by replacing references to "free or reduced-price lunch" eligibility with a new poverty measure based on census data and assistance program participation, creating a standardized way to identify economically disadvantaged students across education and social service programs.
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