New Jersey Bill A.4680 would introduce free daily meals at schools in the state irrespective of family income.  The concentration will be on breakfast servings that help children to learn and function through the school day.  New Jersey currently provides school meals to families that meet income criteria. Increasing the proportion of children receiving school meals will be beneficial for farmers and especially egg producers with opportunities for both national and regional suppliers.

“Food shaming” is a concurrent aspect of legislative concern.  Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) has re-introduced the No Shame at School Act into Congress.  This bill dating back to 2019 would prohibit any form of identification of students receiving free meals and would also ban local school jurisdictions from using debt collectors.  Apart from this intended federal action, Minnesota and North Dakota have enacted legislation banning shaming with the policy under consideration in numerous states.