Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar reintroduced the No Hungry Kids in Schools Act, which would expand access to meals for every student in America by allowing states to provide no-cost meal programs in public schools.

“As a father, the thought of any child going hungry in school is devastating,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “House Democrats believe that every child deserves a shot at a better life, and no kid can reach their full academic potential on an empty stomach. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration shows it doesn’t care about our children’s future by working to eliminate the Department of Education, which could force neighborhood schools to close and class sizes to increase, to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. We can make our community stronger and our children healthier by ensuring that no child in this country is hungry at school, regardless of their background or their zip code. That’s why I am proud to reintroduce the No Hungry Kids in Schools Act to help improve the health and academic performance of students in the Inland Empire and across America by ensuring that they do not go hungry.”

“We are pleased Rep. Aguilar has reintroduced the No Hungry Kids in Schools Act to allow states to adopt the Community Eligibility Provision statewide,” said Crystal FitzSimons, interim president of the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). “Offering school meals at no charge to families is the future for school nutrition departments and for schools. The No Hungry Kids in Schools Act supports states that want to expand access to free school meals, fueling children’s health and learning while reducing stigma and shaming in the cafeteria. We urge Congress to pass this bill. Hungry children can’t wait.”

Currently, individual school districts can apply to serve free school meals to all students through the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) if at least 25 percent of the student body is identified as low-income. The No Hungry Kids in Schools Act will enable states to remove the 25 percent threshold and allow all schools in a participating state to provide free meals to all students, regardless of the percentage of low-income students. The No Hungry Kids in Schools Act also would streamline the administration of school lunch programs in states that have existing universal free school meals, helping the students who are falling through the cracks, including nearly 2.5 million students in California and over 12.5 million students nationwide. 

In the United States, nearly 1 in 7 children is at risk of hunger. Expanding and protecting school meal programs is especially important amidst ongoing Republican efforts to cut billions from nutritional funding. The Trump Administration recently froze $1 billion in food assistance for food banks and schools, and the proposed Republican Budget includes $12 billion in cuts to critical nutrition programs, which would harm over 12 million children. 

Studies have shown that students at schools who participate in school meal programs benefit from better health and nutrition outcomes, higher test scores and better school attendance. Through CEP, more than 23 million children attending high-poverty schools were able to access free, healthy school meals in the 2023-2024 school year.

In addition to the Food Research & Action Center, The No Hungry Kids in Schools Act is endorsed by the National Education Association (NEA). 

Rep. Aguilar serves as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.