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S. 5495

BillFederalSenateIn Committee
A bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to exclude certain military housing allowances from the calculation of household income, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · September 24, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced
September 24, 2026
Cosponsors (1)
1D 0R
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Summary

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This bill modifies the federal school lunch program to better assist children of military service members by excluding certain military housing allowances from the income calculations used to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals. Currently, these housing allowances are counted as household income, which can disqualify military families who would otherwise qualify for assistance. The bill affects military-connected families with school-age children who participate in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Defense to jointly submit a report to Congress by October 1, 2026, examining how the government could automatically certify military children as eligible for meal assistance without requiring families to submit separate applications, potentially using existing military financial data. This legislation aims to streamline access to nutritional support for military dependents and reduce administrative burden on military families.

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