S. 5460

Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act of 2026

Sponsor: Martin Heinrich

14 cosponsors
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act of 2026

This bill permanently increases the federal reimbursement rates for the school lunch and breakfast programs.

Specifically, beginning October 1, 2026, the bill provides an additional 45 cents per lunch served in the National School Lunch Program and an additional 28 cents per breakfast served in the School Breakfast Program. These amounts must be adjusted annually for inflation beginning July 1, 2027.

Text of the bill

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Sec. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act of 2026.

Sec. 2. Increasing the reimbursement rate of school meals

(a) School lunch increase. Section 4(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(4) Nonperformance-based additional reimbursement

(A) In general. Beginning on October 1, 2026, each lunch served in school food authorities shall receive an additional 45 cents.

(B) Adjustment. The amount in subparagraph (A) shall be adjusted in accordance with section 11(a)(3) beginning on July 1, 2027.

(b) School breakfast increase. Section 4(b)(1) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(F) Nonperformance-based additional reimbursement

(i) In general. Beginning on October 1, 2026, each free breakfast, reduced price breakfast, and breakfast served to children not eligible for free or reduced price meals served in school food authorities shall receive an additional 28 cents.

(ii) Adjustment. The amount in clause (i) shall be adjusted in accordance with section 11(a)(3) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act beginning on July 1, 2027 (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(3)).