H.R. 6795 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Education and Workforce, Dec 17, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStreamlines free school meal enrollment for low-income students
The bill makes it easier for schools to get kids signed up for free lunches without requiring families to fill out applications. It does this by helping states improve their direct certification processes—basically using data from assistance programs like SNAP to automatically qualify children for meals. The bill also gives schools more time to decide whether to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision, which lets high-poverty schools serve free meals to all students.
How it affects you
If you're a parent or guardian of a child in a low-income household or a high-poverty school, this could mean your child gets free meals without you having to complete paperwork. Schools and states will get federal grants and support to make their enrollment systems work better, so fewer eligible kids slip through the cracks.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Dec 17, 2025)
School Modernization and Efficient Access to Lunches for Students Act of 2025 or the School MEALS Act of 2025
This bill establishes programs and revises requirements relating to direct certification processes for the National School Lunch Program. Direct certification allows schools to use data matching procedures to approve school meals without the need for applications for children who receive assistance under other programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Agriculture to provide grants and technical assistance for states and tribal organizations to improve their direct certification processes, including with respect to children who receive assistance under a food distribution program on Indian reservations.
The bill also expands the time frame for schools to elect and gather eligibility data for the Community Eligibility Provision. This provision permits schools in high-poverty areas to serve free meals to all enrolled students without the need for applications.
Further, the bill specifies that a state subject to a continuous improvement plan (for not directly certifying at least 95% of children eligible for direct certification because they receive SNAP benefits) must implement the improvement measures within three years.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 6795
A BILL
School MEALS Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5) · Introduced Dec 17, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Dec 17, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.”
Sections
Sections · 6
- Sec. 1Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2Expanding direct certificationNo change
- Sec. 3Direct certification improvement grants and technical assistanceNo change
- Sec. 4Enhancing the community eligibility optionNo change
- Sec. 5Enhancing direct certificationNo change
- Sec. 6State performance on enrolling children receiving program benefits for free school mealsNo change