Funding bill calls for USDA action on ‘lunch shaming’

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a sponsor of a bill to prohibit “lunch shaming” at public schools, is taking a second legislative avenue toward federal action: a directive for the USDA to issue national standards on how schools should handle school-lunch debts. DeLauro included the provision in the House Appropriations report that accompanies the USDA–FDA funding bill.

So-called report language is not binding but often provides powerful guidance to agencies. The USDA told school districts last fall to have a written policy by this July 1 on how they handle debts for school meals. Nearly six of 10 schools said in a USDA survey that they incur costs for unpaid meals. Most of those schools say they still serve food—either the regular meal or an alternative—to children even when they cannot pay.

DeLauro said her provision would block schools from actions such as requiring students to wear wristbands that say “I owe lunch money” or throwing away meals prepared for students who are in arrears. “We need to ensure children are never penalized for their parents’ financial shortcomings,” said DeLauro.

The “lunch shaming” bill, filed in the House and Senate, would require schools to work directly with parents to resolve debts through such steps as payment plans. The legislation also calls on schools and the USDA to simplify the process of applying for free or reduced-priced meals for children from low-income families.

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