H.R. 290·Elementary Intermediate
A Bill to Make School Lunch Free for All Public School Students
Rep. Quinn (D-MI)
All K-12 public school students get free breakfast and lunch, paid for by the federal government.
Sec. 1 — Mandate
All K-12 public schools shall provide free breakfast and lunch to every enrolled student.
Sec. 2 — Standards
Meals must meet USDA nutrition standards.
Sec. 3 — Funding
$18 billion per year, drawn from the general fund.
Sec. 4 — Enforcement
USDA inspects participating districts annually.
Tournament Prep
Mechanical parts, sourced & timed
Use this as your pre-round checklist. Memorize the source citation. Time yourself to the delivery target.
- Bill / Number
- H.R. 290 — A Bill to Make School Lunch Free for All Public School Students
- Funding source
- $18B/yr from the general fund through USDA child nutrition.
- Timeline
- Begin within one fiscal year.
- Realistic — uses existing NSLP infrastructure.
- Enforcing agency
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
- Yes — already runs Community Eligibility Provision.
- Penalty for non-compliance
- Reimbursement clawback for non-compliant districts.
- Source citation
- CBO (2023), 'Options for Universal Free School Meals' — cbo.gov.
- Delivery time (read aloud)
- 1:05 (65s)
Strongest counter-argument
$18B/yr subsidizes wealthy families who could pay full price.
Your pre-emptive answer
Yes — and that's the point. Brookings (2022) found universal meals raise participation among low-income students by 12% by removing the stigma of the 'free lunch line.' Means-testing is what suppresses uptake.