Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 (S. 2089)

Summary

Gives schools and daycare centers extra money for meals and extends some food program rule changes to help feed children.

What problem does this solve?

Help for school meal programs that started during the pandemic was about to end, which could have left many kids hungry and schools with higher costs. This law continues some of that help and gives more money to schools and daycares so they can keep feeding children.

What does this law do?

Increases school lunch payments

Provides an extra 40 cents for each lunch served through the national school lunch program for the 2022-2023 school year.

Increases school breakfast payments

Provides an extra 15 cents for each breakfast served through the school breakfast program for the 2022-2023 school year.

Extends authority for food program rule changes

Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to continue changing rules for child nutrition programs nationwide to help them operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increases payments for child and adult care meals

Gives an extra 10 cents for each meal and snack served by programs that feed children and adults in daycare settings for the 2022-2023 school year.

Helps more family day care homes get funding

Allows certain family or group day care homes (Tier II) to receive the highest payment rate for meals, making it easier for them to afford to provide food.

Takes back unspent COVID-19 relief funds

Recaptures billions of dollars in unspent funds from other COVID-19 relief laws to pay for the costs of this act.

Provides help for schools to transition

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to give technical help to states and schools to assist them as they return to normal meal program operations.

Who does this affect?

Children in school and daycare
School food authorities
Child and adult care providers

What is the real world impact?

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Prevents a sudden end to meal assistance

Extends flexible rules from the pandemic to make sure children do not suddenly lose access to free or low-cost meals at school and during the summer.

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Helps schools with rising costs

Provides extra money to school and daycare meal programs to help them handle higher food prices and supply chain problems, making it easier to serve healthy meals.

When does this start?

The law's provisions mainly apply to the school year starting in July 2022 and include several different deadlines for when rule changes expire.

Meal Pattern Waiver Expiration

The ability for the Secretary of Agriculture to change rules about what foods must be served in meals expires on June 30, 2023.

General Nationwide Waiver Expiration

The main authority for the Secretary to create or approve nationwide changes to food programs expires on September 30, 2022.

2022-2023 School Year Waiver Sunset

Any nationwide rule changes made specifically for the 2022-2023 school year cannot continue after June 30, 2023.