March 19, 2026
Mr. Bera introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to provide additional reimbursement to schools with a breakfast after the bell program, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Breakfast After the Bell Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Increased reimbursement for breakfast after the bell
Section 11(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(4) Breakfast after the bell reimbursement
(A) In general
A State educational agency shall receive an additional reimbursement of 10 cents for each reimbursable breakfast served—
(i)
after the beginning of a school day;
(ii)
through a breakfast after the bell program; and
(iii)
during a school year by a school that—
(I)
is served by a local educational agency that elects to receive special assistance payments under paragraph (1)(F)(ii) for such school for such year; or
(II)
had a percentage of enrolled students who were identified students that was not less than 40 percent during the prior school year.
(B) Disburse funds to school
A State educational agency that receives an additional reimbursement for a breakfast under subparagraph (A) shall disburse such additional reimbursement to the school that served such breakfast.
(C) Breakfast after the bell program
In this paragraph, the term
breakfast after the bell programmeans a school breakfast program that—(i)
serves breakfast to students after the start of the school day; and
(ii)
uses a service model, including service of breakfast in the classroom or at a kiosk outside the cafeteria of the school, that the State educational agency determines increases participation in the breakfast program.