School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act of 2025

This bill would erase all unpaid school meal bills that families owe for school breakfasts and lunches. The USDA would have up to 180 days after the law takes effect to cancel these debts, tell families their balances are cleared, and repay each school district using federal Commodity Credit Corporation funds . It also gives the USDA ongoing authority to cancel school meal debt in the future and to use the same funds to support other nutrition programs that help low-income people, like emergency food assistance and the commodity supplemental food program .

Key points

• Who is affected: Families who owe money for school breakfasts or lunches, and the school districts they owe .
• What changes: Existing meal debt is wiped clean; schools are reimbursed; USDA is clearly allowed to cancel meal debt going forward; and more flexible funding is allowed for key food assistance programs .
• When: Debts that exist on the day the law takes effect must be canceled within 180 days, with written confirmation to families .