McMorris Rodgers’ bill improves service members’ access to federal meal programs

United States military service members and their families would have improved eligibility for federal free and reduced-price school meal programs under bipartisan legislation offered by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). 

“We made a promise to our service members that in return for their sacrifice, we would help take care of them and their families,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said. “The fact that any military family in the United States is struggling to put food on the table is proof that we must do better.”

The Military Dependents School Meal Eligibility Act of 2023, H.R. 5619, which Rep. McMorris Rodgers cosponsored alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), would remove the basic allowance for housing from the military’s calculation of income for eligibility in free and reduced-price school meal programs, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers. 

“While this bill won’t fix everything,” said the congresswoman, “I’m confident it will be an important step towards providing critical food security for our nation’s heroes and their families.”

If enacted, H.R. 5619 also would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the feasibility and cost of establishing a program to directly certify military dependents for free and reduced-price school meal programs, the summary says. 

“The men and women who risk their lives for our country should never struggle to feed their children,” said Rep. Levin. “Though there is much more we must do to improve the financial well-being of service members, this is an important step towards ensuring military families based at Camp Pendleton and across the country can focus on fulfilling their mission rather than on where they will find their next meal.”  

H.R. 5619 has been referred for consideration to both the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee and the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.