BOSTON (WWLP) - U.S. Representative James McGovern introduced the Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act on Wednesday, aiming to permanently increase federal reimbursement for school meals to improve nutrition and support school food professionals.

The legislation proposes a 45-cent increase for every lunch and a 28-cent increase for every breakfast served in schools, with adjustments each year. This initiative seeks to address funding challenges, enhance nutrition, and increase access to locally grown food.

"School nutrition programs are struggling to keep up with rising food and labor costs as they work to feed our kids nutritious meals every day," said Congressman McGovern. "Current reimbursement rates do not adequately cover these costs, which can lead to more processed, pre-packaged food

See Full Page