NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – There is a new push at the Tennessee State Capitol to make meals at school free for all students.
Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) recently filed House Bill 12 , which would require each local school board to create programs that provide free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled.
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According to the filing, the cost of the initiative would be covered by all available federal funding followed by reimbursements from the state to each local education agency.
Clemmons has proposed legislation related to this topic since 2018, but he has yet to prevail. The most recent rejection came this past legislative session on March 12 when House Bill 1844 failed for lack of a second in a K-12 Subcommittee.
A 2024 poll by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found that 40% of Tennessee families struggle with food insecurity. The center’s previous research also showed that 9 in 10 Tennessee parents support free school meals for all children.