Supporters tell committee Medicaid direct certification would add thousands of children to free or reduced school meals

CONCORD, N.H. Representative Laura Talerski told the House Education Committee she brought House Bill 583 so families already verified through Medicaid would be directly certified for the national school meals program.

"This bill is not looking to raise the income eligibility for the program," Talerski said. "Itis simply an attempt to help identify students living in poverty who aren't being fed at school." She told the committee Department of Health and Human Services data indicate more children are income-eligible for meals by virtue of Medicaid enrollment than are enrolled in the free and reduced-price program: "For this school year ... 51,380 students that qualify for meals according to their family's income" under Medicaid, while the meals program shows roughly 40,900 enrolled, leaving about "10,005 children who could be eating at school at a free or reduced rate, but they are not."

Why it matters: Witnesses said direct certification would reduce childhood food…