Requires public and nonpublic schools with lunch programs to provide free lunch to increasing numbers of income-eligible students and, after five-year phase-in, to provide free lunch to all students, regardless of income or federal eligibility.

New Jersey bill A3871 requires public and nonpublic schools with lunch programs to gradually expand free lunch eligibility over five years, ultimately providing free meals to all students regardless of income or federal eligibility. It uses existing federal reimbursement mechanisms like the Community Eligibility Provision to allow schools to serve universal free meals without individual income applications. The bill directly affects all participating schools in the state’s National School Lunch Program, eliminating income verification for students. This policy change shifts school meal funding toward universal provision, building on federal program structures.