Advocates and nonprofit representatives urged the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 to preserve full funding for School Meals for All and the May Revision’s proposed $150 million one‑time kitchen infrastructure and training grant program.

Lizzie Kutsona, speaking for the Office of Kat Taylor and the Center for Ecoliteracy, told the panel the state proposal "includes full funding for the program, including increases for increased participation and the proposed $150,000,000 in one‑time funding for the kitchen infrastructure and training program." Kutsona said universal school meals “quickly puts money back in the pockets of families when their children eat for free at school.”

Speakers from SEIU California, NextGen California’s nutrition partners, the California Association of Food Banks, and school‑district representatives echoed support for continued funding. Kimberly Sanchez of Nexon California said state evaluations show the program reduces stigma and that the kitchen infrastructure grants helped districts meet increased demand. The California Association of Food Banks urged maximizing federal drawdown and recommended an online statewide application and a $6,000,000 pilot for summer caregiver meals to allow caregivers to eat with children at library‑based summer sites.

Why it matters: advocates said universal meals are one of the simplest levers to address food insecurity and rising cost of living for families, and they said kitchen infrastructure funds are necessary to scale operations to meet increased participation.

What was not decided: committee discussion in the day’s panels focused on Proposition 98 architecture and other K–12 tradeoffs; subcommittee members did not take a vote on this public request during the hearing. Advocates asked the Legislature to retain the governor’s May Revision proposal as drafted.

Ending: Several groups asked the subcommittee to keep kitchen infrastructure grants and maintain the full School Meals for All funding package in the final budget, highlighting operational supports, federal match opportunities, and the program’s role in lowering family food costs.