The 11-bill package increases eligibility for free school meals and improves access to SNAP
Last week, a ten-bill legislative package aimed at reducing hunger passed the New Jersey General Assembly, including the Working-Class Families’ Anti-Hunger Act (A2368). This legislation would ensure that about 25,000 more New Jersey children are fed, focused and ready to learn. Under this bill, children in a family of four making an annual income of up to $55,500 would now be eligible for free breakfast and lunch at school.
Nine of the other bills that passed embrace recommendations that Hunger Free New Jersey made in its 2021 SNAP Report, Boosting NJ SNAP: Eliminating Barriers to Participation, which identifies barriers to SNAP participation and advances solutions to make the program more accessible to residents in need.
We are grateful to Legislative leaders and the bill sponsors for championing these important measures. These bills now await a full Senate vote. Want to learn more? Read our explainer here and check out NJ Spotlight’s coverage.
