The House has amended the Keep Kids Fed Act to comply with changes requested by the Senate to finalize the Keep Kids Fed Act.

The package valued at $3 billion will extend through the 2022-2023 school year allowing students eligible for reduced-price meals to be fed.  Schools will be reimbursed for breakfast and lunches and waivers will be extended in the event of supply chain disruption.  The universal free meal program introduced during COVID will not be extended. 

The School Nutrition Association has praised the tentative agreement and is requesting expeditious passage of the act in advance of the expiration of COVID funding to take place on June 30th.

In a June 24th statement, Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsak, stated “I am pleased to see that Congress has taken action to provide much needed support to help USDA child nutrition programs to serve nutrition meals to Americas’ children.”  He added, “The deal passed by Congress will ease some of the uncertainty and provide partial relief to our schools, summer sites, and childcare feeding programs.”