U.S. Senator Tina Smith Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop Schools From Publicly Singling Out Children Unable to Pay for Meals at School

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped introduce legislation to prohibit school "lunch shaming"--the practice of punishing or stigmatizing children who have an outstanding balance or don't have enough money to pay for meals at school. The Anti-Lunch Shaming Act--led by Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.)--would ban schools from requiring children to wear hand stamps or do extra chores because their parents or guardians have not paid their school meal bills.

Minnesota is currently considering a similar measure to address this shameful practice, and the federal Anti-Lunch Shaming Act aims to provide protections to students throughout the country.

"Humiliating students in front of their peers because they can't afford lunch is just plain wrong," said Sen. Smith. "Lunch shaming is not only cruel, but can also stigmatize low-income students and ultimately hurt their ability to learn. School districts should be paid for the meals they provide, but it should only involve the district and parents, not kids."

"Lunch shaming is a practice so cruel and backwards that most Americans would be shocked to know it happens. And yet school districts across the country are allowed to use these appalling tactics. Instead of stigmatizing kids who come from struggling households, withholding hot meals from students, and depriving some children of their only healthy meal of the day, we should be working to find solutions to end childhood hunger and to support families in need," said Sen. Udall. "We know that hunger can be an insurmountable barrier to success in the classroom. I was proud when New Mexico became the first state in the country to outlaw the practice of lunch shaming, and I will continue to do everything I can in the Senate to pass this legislation on a federal level so no child will have to spend their time at school feeling ashamed of a debt they have no power to pay."

The Anti-Lunch Shaming Act prohibits schools participating in U.S. Department of Agriculture school lunch or breakfast programs from using humiliation or throwing a child's meal away because their parent or guardian hasn't paid their school meal bill and other shaming tactics. Instead, it requires schools to direct communications regarding meal debt to the parent or guardian, not the child.

The bill also aims to simplify the process for applying for free and reduced-price lunches. The legislation would direct the Department of Agriculture to distribute applications for free or reduce-price lunches in an understandable, uniform format and encourage schools to offer assistance to complete the applications; coordinate with State agencies, school food authorities, and local education agency liaisons to ensure that homeless children and youth, and children and youth in foster care are eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch; and explore innovative ways to use technology to improve communications between parents or guardians and school food authorities.

The bill is also supported by Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Chris Van Hollen(D-M.D). Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) is leading the House companion bill, which is also supported by Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) and Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M).

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