Congress approves free student meal extension through summer

• By Lisa Rathke/AP

Congress has passed a bill that aims to keep up the expanded, pandemic-era distribution of free meals for all students this summer.

Final passage Friday of the Keep Kids Fed Act in the U.S. House came less than a week before rule changes for child nutrition programs were set to expire June 30.

The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.

The legislation is intended to extend the rules that were adopted soon after COVID-19 disrupted schools nationwide.

The rules allow summer meal distribution sites to operate in any community with need, rather than just where there’s a high concentration of low-income children.