WHEREAS, In 2021, California became the first state in the nation to enact a universal school meals program, which has provided a meal to every pupil attending California’s public schools since the 2022–23 school year; and

WHEREAS, This policy had bipartisan support in the Legislature; and

WHEREAS, California’s pioneering inspired a national movement, with 8 states now having enacted comparable measures and an additional 25 states proposing legislation to establish universal school meal programs; and

WHEREAS, The universal school meals program, mandating schools to engage in the Community Eligibility Provision, pursuant to Section 1759a of Title 42 of the United States Code, when they are eligible to do so, maximizes federal reimbursements for meals and fosters equity by guaranteeing access to healthy meals for all enrolled pupils without necessitating individual meal applications; and

WHEREAS, Nearly one-half of California families with children experiencing food insecurity have incomes above the federal income limit of 185 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $57,720 per year for a family of four, and these children would risk missing a school meal without the universal school meals program; and

WHEREAS, Teachers rank hunger as a top priority in pupil health; and

WHEREAS, Universal access to school meals improves the health of children, as school meals are often the healthiest meals children eat throughout the day; and

WHEREAS, Universal school meals facilitate socialization and improved mental health through meals with peers; and

WHEREAS, Improved access to school lunch has led to fewer disciplinary problems and lower suspension rates in schools; and

WHEREAS, Providing universally free school meals has diminished the stigma around free meals, thereby increasing participation among pupils; and

WHEREAS, The provision of free school meals has been found to improve academic performance and school attendance rates among pupils; and

WHEREAS, Parents, guardians, and caregivers report that the universal school meals program saves time and money and reduces family stress; and

WHEREAS, Universal school meals programs alleviate administrative burdens on school nutrition workers by eliminating red tape, improving the financial health of school meals programs, and increasing the time and resources they have to prepare healthy, delicious, and nutritious food; and

WHEREAS, A national guaranteed school meals program would yield nearly $40 billion in economic benefits nationally, increasing revenues for farmers, growers, and other food producers, and creating more jobs for food system workers; and

WHEREAS, The School Nutrition Association, the American Federation of School Administrators, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the national Food Research & Action Center, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Family Farm Coalition, the National Farm to School Network, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and dozens of other national education, child health, and farming associations support universal school meals; and

WHEREAS, Recent polls show strong nationwide support across partisan lines for universal school meals programs; now, therefore, be it