Sponsors (3)
The bill expands and funds Summer EBT to give low-income children reliable meals during summers and unexpected closures, improving food security and uptake, while increasing federal spending and creating short-term rollout burdens and longer-term state cost responsibilities.
Low-income children and their families will receive daily meal benefits during summer months, qualifying school-closure periods, and unexpected multi-day school closures (5+ weekdays), reducing child food insecurity and easing household meal costs and planning.
States and Tribal organizations get enhanced federal administrative reimbursement (100% in FY2026 then tapering toward 50%), lowering early implementation costs and encouraging broader state/Tribal adoption of the expanded Summer EBT program.
A one-time $50 million federal transfer funds state data system upgrades to implement the Summer EBT expansion, improving program delivery, eligibility tracking, and beneficiary access.
Federal program costs will increase due to higher benefit levels and expanded eligibility, adding to budget pressures and potentially requiring offsets or additional appropriations.
States may face operational challenges and short-term administrative burdens while expanding systems and processes, which could disrupt benefit delivery during the rollout.
After the initial years, administrative reimbursement falls back to 50% (post-FY2031), increasing long-term state costs to maintain the expanded program and potentially straining state budgets.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands Summer EBT to cover school closure periods, raises per-child benefit to at least free-rate breakfast+lunch+snack (CY2025+), phases up admin reimbursement, and provides $50M for state system upgrades.
Official title: To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to expand the summer electronic benefits transfer for children program to include benefit transfer during school closures, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 6, 2025 by Mike Levin · Last progress May 6, 2025
Expands the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program so children receive benefits not only during summer months but also during any qualifying school closure period of five or more consecutive weekdays (including remote or hybrid). It raises the per-child benefit to at least the free-rate value of breakfast, lunch, and a snack for each eligible day beginning in calendar year 2025, changes the federal administrative reimbursement to a phased schedule from 100% (FY2026) down to 50% (FY2031+), and provides a one-time $50 million Treasury transfer to USDA on October 1, 2025 for state data system improvements to implement the changes.