California Passes Legislation to Strengthen School Meals for All

In 2021, California made history by becoming the first state in the country to pass School Meals for All, enabling all children in the state to eat nourishing school meals for free, regardless of their family’s income. We are thrilled that this week, Governor Newsom signed SB 348 (Skinner) into law, which builds on this great momentum and makes California the first state in the country to codify President Biden’s new federal school meal guidelines on nutrition standards, and ensures that children have adequate time to eat those meals during their school lunch periods.

We are especially grateful to Senator Skinner, who has made expanding access to school meals a pillar of her work in the California legislature, and to all of our coalition partners who advocated for this important policy: the Office of Kat Taylor, GRACE / End Child Poverty California, American Heart Association, California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Eat Real, Gasol Foundation, No Kid Hungry, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

“This is a victory not just for California kids but for everyone in this state,” said Becky Silva, director of government relations for the California Association of Food Banks. “This bill both strengthens the nutritional value of school meals and also ensures students have adequate time to eat those meals — inspiring kids to eat more fruits and vegetables to power their education. We are grateful for Senator Skinner’s unwavering commitment and steadfast leadership in getting this done.”