School MEALS Act of 2023

The School MEALS Act of 2023 aims to increase access to free school meals by improving how schools automatically enroll eligible students. It creates $28 million in federal grants for states and tribal organizations to boost "direct certification" rates - where schools enroll children in free meals based on existing government benefit data - prioritizing areas with the lowest current rates. The bill expands eligibility criteria (increasing the timeframe for implementation from 10 to 20 years) and funds technology upgrades, technical assistance, and coordination with other benefit programs. This directly affects schools, state education agencies, tribal organizations, and children in households receiving public benefits like SNAP or TANF.