Kids Need Lunch Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7542 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7542 To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to make lunches free for all children and to reimburse school meal delinquent debt, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 12, 2026 Mr. Krishnamoorthi introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to make lunches free for all children and to reimburse school meal delinquent debt, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Kids Need Lunch Act''. (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Effective date. TITLE I--FREE LUNCHES Sec. 101. Apportionment to States. Sec. 102. Nutritional and other program requirements. Sec. 103. Price for a paid lunch. TITLE II--ADDRESSING SCHOOL MEAL DEBT Sec. 201. Reimbursement of school meal delinquent debt program. Sec. 202. No collection of debt. SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. Unless otherwise provided, this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act. TITLE I--FREE LUNCHES SEC. 101. APPORTIONMENT TO STATES. Section 4(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753(b)) is amended-- (1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: ``(2) Payment amounts.-- ``(A) In general.--The national average payment for each free lunch shall be $4.86, adjusted annually for inflation in accordance with subparagr