To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require mandatory certification for certain students and reduce stigma associated with unpaid school meal fees, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · September 25, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
The No Shame at School Act of 2024 modifies federal school meal programs to address the stigma and barriers faced by students whose families cannot afford meal costs. The bill requires schools to automatically certify eligible students for free or reduced-price meals and mandates that schools retroactively reimburse meal debts dating back to the beginning of the school year once a family becomes eligible. Schools are prohibited from publicly identifying students with unpaid meal fees through special tokens, announcements, name lists, or other means, and cannot withhold grades, extracurricular participation, or other educational opportunities from these students as a collection tactic. Additionally, schools are barred from using debt collectors to pursue unpaid meal fees and cannot take away food that has already been served to a student based on their family's debt status. The legislation applies to all schools participating in the federal school lunch and breakfast programs and takes effect upon passage, with no specific federal funding authorization detailed in the bill text.
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