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Committee holds bill to expand free school meals to families up to 200% of poverty
Summary
Senate Substitute SB 180, sponsored by Sen. Escamilla, would expand free school-meal eligibility from 185% to 200% of the federal poverty level and rely on a mixture of liquor-markup funds and a $5 million restricted appropriation; the House Education Committee voted to hold the bill after debate over funding and distribution concerns.
Senator Escamilla presented Substitute SB 180, which would expand free school-meal eligibility from 185% to 200% of the federal poverty level for children in districts that are not already offering universal meals and add a reporting requirement to increase transparency of local meal programs. "Kids that are hungry are not gonna learn," Sen. Escamilla said, framing the proposal as a high-return investment in children’s ability to learn.
Supporters told the committee that rising housing and medical costs are increasing demand on food banks and pressing middle-income families. Neil Rickard, child nutrition advocate for Utahns Against…
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