New state law extends eligibility for free meals to nonpublic schools

To help offset financial hardship experienced by many low-income families, the New Jersey Catholic Conference wrote to Gov. Phil Murphy Jan. 11 to request his support on the “Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act” – a bill that would expand eligibility for free school meals to include nonpublic schools.

On Jan. 16, Gov. Murphy signed the bill into law, effectively making some 60,000 families newly eligible.

Introduced in the 2022-2023 legislative session, A-5684 was passed by the General Assembly June 30, 2023, and amended versions passed the Senate and Assembly Jan. 10.

The bill will require certain public and nonpublic schools to provide in-school meals – breakfast and lunch – free of charge to all eligible students and would raise the income threshold to between 185 and 224 percent of the federal poverty level.

This legislation applies to public and non-public schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and/or federal School Breakfast Program.

The bill also directs the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to provide funding to each school district and nonpublic school that participates in the National School Lunch Program and to reimburse nonpublic schools for certain free school lunches and breakfasts during the 2024-2025 school year and for spring of 2024.

“One of the Catholic Church’s priorities is a ‘preferential’ care for the poor and vulnerable,” wrote NJCC executive director James King. “Collectively, society must work together to implement laws and policies intended to eliminate barriers that prevent people living in poverty from obtaining basic needs, such as healthy food, affordable housing and quality healthcare.

“Without these basic needs, it is nearly impossible to flourish and live a life of dignity, to which, as children of God, all persons are entitled.”

King expressed appreciation that the Governor signed the bill, and added, “The Catholic Church in New Jersey remains committed to these efforts through our daily charge to foster, promote and actionize our charitable legacy of feeding the hungry through a multitude of social agencies, parish-based food banks and Catholic Charities, and are grateful for your administration’s past support of anti-hunger legislation.”

Estimates project that more than 102,000 families’ income would put them in the newly expanded income bracket, making their children eligible to receive free meals via the National School Lunch Program or the federal School Breakfast Program.

Gov. Murphy signed similar legislation into law in Sept. 2022 – A2368/S1677 – which increased income eligibility for free public school meals up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

To read the entire Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act, visit https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2022/S4500/4055_E2.PDF.

Emmalee Italia serves as contributing editor for The Monitor, Diocese of Trenton.