09.25.23

Ranking Member Scott Applauds Biden Administration for Expanding Access to Free School Meals

WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Scott applauded the Biden administration after the Department of Agriculture announced a final rule to strengthen the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and expand children’s access to free school meals. CEP allows the nation’s highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed according to the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals, which is based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs.

“The Community Eligibility Provision has proven to be a critical tool in fighting against child hunger. Since its creation in 2011, CEP has helped more than 33,000 schools—serving more than 16 million children—to streamline their school meal operations and help more of their students access free school meals. At a time when far too many children are continuing to go hungry, it is imperative that we maximize the potential of this program and expand access to healthy school meals.

“By allowing more schools to participate in the CEP program, the Biden administration will provide schools with additional flexibility to offer free school meals and help ensure that more students in America—regardless of their background—get the healthy and nutritious food they need to succeed.”

The need to expand access to free school meals has risen over the last year. According to the Census Bureau, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school lunch programs, enhanced by pandemic-related expansions, kept a combined 5.1 million people out of poverty in 2022.

In May, Ranking Member Scott and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) praised the Department of Agriculture for its proposal to lower the threshold for schools to participate in CEP from 40 percent of students to 25 percent.

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