Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed bipartisan legislation on Thursday that requires public schools to place a link for the application for subsidized school meals prominently on their websites.
The law, which passed unanimously in the Legislature, is aimed at ensuring all families eligible for subsidized school meals know how to sign up for them. Sherrill signed the bill during a press conference at the Trenton Statehouse Thursday.
“We know that the school meals are one of the best, most direct ways to help kids get the nutrition they need to succeed in school and to build healthy lives. And they save eligible families an average of $1,200 a year in grocery costs as well. And let me say, as a mom of four, I can tell you, teenagers can really eat,” she said.
Thursday’s law is not the only step New Jersey has taken to reduce enrollment obstacles for families eligible for subsidized school meals. New Jersey currently runs a program that allows families that receive Medicaid benefits or food stamps to enroll in the free or reduced school meal program without filling out an extra application. Sherrill said two-thirds of students eligible for the program, roughly 460,000 students, have been certified in this way.
Standing alongside bill sponsors Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) and Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), Sherrill called New Jersey “among the most aggressive states in the nation in fighting hunger across the board”.
Nearly 600,000 New Jersey students receive free and reduced-price meals, according to state Department of Education data.
The number of enrolled students was bolstered by a bill passed in 2024 that expanded the income eligibility for applicants. Sponsored by Coughlin, the “Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act” increased eligibility to 224% of the federal poverty line, up from the previous 200%. In her remarks, Sherrill said this bill has led 21,000 more students to become eligible.
Sherrill on Thursday drew a contrast between New Jersey Democrats’ moves in this area and those of the Trump administration, which backed a federal law signed last year that implemented dramatic cuts to Medicaid and to the food stamp program, also called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
“It’s set to kick 350,000 New Jerseyans off Medicaid by introducing totally unnecessary paperwork requirements. Nearly 50,000 New Jerseyans could lose SNAP benefits,” Sherrill said.
The governor added that the federal changes would limit how many families are directly certified for subsidized school meals as well.
Coughlin echoed her criticism, saying the federal government is “stepping back.”
“They’ve stepped back from supporting efforts to curb hunger, we’re stepping up. That’s what we do,” he said.
