School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act

This bill expands automatic eligibility for free school meals by adding new categories of children who qualify without needing separate applications, including those in kinship care, living with grandparents in low-income housing, and children in Native American housing programs. It creates a system for transferring meal eligibility when children move between school districts, extends eligibility for up to one year longer in certain cases, and establishes automatic certification for children receiving Medicaid benefits. The bill also provides $28 million in grants to states and tribal organizations to improve direct certification rates, and creates a demonstration program to test universal free school meals in up to 5 states. These changes aim to reduce administrative barriers and increase access to school meals for children from low-income families.