Published September 29, 2026

Earlier this month, the National Healthy School Meals for All Coalition, which FRAC convenes, hosted a virtual congressional briefing, Free Healthy School Meals for All: Nourishing Kids and Supporting Affordability for Families. More than 400 people attended the event to hear a Republican state legislator, a parent, a special education teacher, and a doctor share why providing school meals at no charge to all students is essential to strengthening household food security and helping children thrive.  

During the briefing, FRAC shared the results of recent public opinion polling commissioned by FRAC and conducted in September by Hart Research. The poll found that 79 percent of registered voters across the country support offering free school meals to all students, regardless of household income, in all schools. This represents a significant surge in support since FRAC’s previous national public opinion poll in 2021, when 63 percent of registered voters supported legislation that would allow schools to offer meals to all students at no charge. 

Key findings:  

  • Support for free school meals for all crossed partisan lines, including 90 percent of Democrats, 78 percent of Independents, and 70 percent of Republicans. 
  • Support rose to 92 percent when isolating the respondents who are parents.  
  • Support for a nationwide policy was strong among people living in states that do not already offer free school meals for all through state policy (80 percent) and among residents of the nine states (77 percent) that already offer free school meals for all through state policy — California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont. Support remained consistent across community types (rural — 76 percent, suburban — 79 percent, and urban — 83 percent) and region of the country (Northeast — 74 percent, South — 81 percent, Midwest — 81 percent, West — 81 percent).  

Healthy School Meals for All is a winning issue. Offering school meals at no cost to all students is a win for kids, who can focus on learning without worrying about hunger or experiencing stigma in the cafeteria; a win for parents, who no longer need to pay for school meals and can put those dollars toward other basic necessities; and a win for policymakers, who can champion legislation that helps make life more affordable for families. 

The day after the briefing, Reps. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) added their names as cosponsors to the Universal School Meals Program Act, legislation that would make free school meals for all a reality nationwide. There are now a total of 103 House Members on the bill and 19 Senators on the Senate version, all Democrats. We need more Members of Congress to cosponsor the bill, to demonstrate growing momentum and send a clear message that this legislation should be a priority for leadership in the next Congress. 

Action: Check here to see if your Senator is a current cosponsor and here to see if your Representative is a cosponsor. If they are not, use our FRAC Action Network to send a direct message to them to urge them to join the bill. 

Across political party affiliation, parental status, community type, and region of the country, there is a clear call to action for nationwide Healthy School Meals for All, and Congress should answer it.