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Cancels all household school meal debt that existed on the date of enactment for the National School Lunch Program (including community eligibility) and the School Breakfast Program, requires the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to pay local educational authorities the cancelled amounts, and requires notice to each affected household. It also amends statute to explicitly authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to cancel such debts and to use CCC funds. Separately, it clarifies and expands the ability to use CCC funds to support the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and to carry out the Emergency Food Assistance Act.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall cancel and eliminate all debts owed by households as of the date of enactment for school meals.
The cancellation covers debts for school lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, including through community eligibility under section 11(a)(1)(F) of that Act.
The cancellation covers debts for the school breakfast program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to pay the amount of debt cancelled to each local educational authority to which the debt is owed by the applicable households.
The Secretary of Agriculture shall provide confirmation of the cancelled debt to each applicable household.
Who is affected and how:
Families and students: Households with outstanding school meal debt at enactment will have those balances cancelled and will receive confirmation that the debt is cleared. This reduces immediate financial burden and stigma associated with unpaid meal debt.
Students (K–12): Students from households with cancelled debt may face fewer barriers or stigma related to school meal participation; schools may see higher participation stability.
Local educational authorities (LEAs) and K–12 schools: LEAs that were owed unpaid meal charges will be reimbursed by the CCC for the cancelled amounts, so they are made whole for those specific debts. LEAs must submit any documentation required to receive CCC payments and update their accounting.
U.S. Department of Agriculture / Commodity Credit Corporation: USDA must implement cancellations, notify households, and process payments through the CCC. The CCC’s cash outlays will increase to cover reimbursements and to provide expanded support where authorized for other nutrition programs.
Nutrition program operations and partners: The Commodity Supplemental Food Program and Emergency Food Assistance Act programs gain explicit statutory access to CCC funds, providing USDA more flexibility to finance program activities and responses. Food banks and program partners may see funding or supply effects depending on USDA use of CCC resources.
Administrative burden: USDA and LEAs will need to identify eligible outstanding debts, coordinate payment/reimbursement, and issue household notifications — requiring operational and recordkeeping work.
Net effects: immediate financial relief for affected households and reimbursement for schools, combined with a reallocation of CCC resources to cover the cost. The bill does not impose net costs on LEAs (they are reimbursed) and does not create an ongoing guarantee for future debts.
Amends section 4(a) (the first sentence) of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c) by striking and inserting text in the first sentence and by inserting additional text after a specified location (specific replacement and insertion text not provided in this section).
Modifies 7 U.S.C. 7508 by (1) amending subsection (b) to strike the phrase "the funds" and all that follows through a specified point and replace it with "the States," and (2) adding a new subsection (c) that authorizes use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds—authorizing the Secretary to use such sums of the Commodity Credit Corporation as are necessary to carry out the Emergency Food Assistance Act.
Adds a new subsection (e) to section 7 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act authorizing the Secretary to cancel and eliminate household school meal debts for the school lunch and school breakfast programs, requiring use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds to pay local educational authorities for cancelled debt, and requiring confirmation to affected households.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced March 12, 2025 by John Karl Fetterman · Last progress March 12, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate