# Summer Meals REACH Act of 2023

This bill makes changes to the federal summer meal program that feeds children when school is out of session. Right now, the summer program has specific rules about how and where meals must be served, and it limits participation to children who qualify based on their family's income. This bill loosens those restrictions to make it easier for more kids to get fed during the summer months.

The main changes are pretty straightforward. First, the bill allows meals to be delivered to children in non-congregate settings, meaning kids don't have to gather in one place to eat together—meals could be delivered to homes, parks, or other locations. Second, it opens up the program so that all children can participate, regardless of their family's income level. Currently, the program prioritizes low-income children, but this bill removes that income requirement. Third, the bill makes it easier for organizations running the program to monitor food service by allowing them to do inspections either in person or remotely, rather than requiring on-site visits every time.

The practical effect is that summer meal programs would have more flexibility to reach hungry children wherever they are, without worrying as much about income verification or requiring kids to show up at a specific location. This could help organizations serve more children during the summer when school meals aren't available, particularly in rural areas or communities where transportation to a central location is difficult. The bill also reduces some of the administrative burden on the organizations running these programs, which could free up resources to actually serve more meals.

Summer Meals REACH Act of 2023

Kim, Andy

Summer Meals Reaching Every Area's Child Hunger Act of 2023 or the Summer Meals REACH Act of 2023 This bill permanently extends certain modifications to the Summer Food Service Program that were authorized and implemented to respond to COVID-19. The changes generally expanded the program, which provides free meals to children in low-income areas when school is not in session. Specifically, the bill permanently makes all children eligible to participate in the program. This includes requiring reimbursement to camps for meals served to all children. The bill also specifically allows for non-congregate meal distribution, which is meal distribution outside of the typically required group, or congregate, setting (e.g., grab-and-go meal service). Further, the bill expands eligible service institutions by allowing for on-site or off-site food service monitoring.