SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislature has officially passed House Bill 100 that aims to expand access to free school lunch for K-12 students.
The bill sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clancy (R-Provo) will provide free lunch to 40,000 more Utah children. If it is signed by Gov. Spencer Cox, families already under reduced-price meals would move into the free meal category.
The issue first came to the forefront after FOX 13 News reporting found Utah families were on the hook for millions of dollars in unpaid school lunch debt. Last year, the debt reached nearly $3 million.
Under current Utah law, a family of five cannot earn more than $47,554 a year to qualify for free lunches. Under the recently passed legislation, the threshold increases to $67,673 a year. The bill also secures about $2.5 million in funding for the program's expansion.
One item that didn't make the final bill is ongoing funding to the S-EBT program, which provides students with $40 per month for food during summer break. However, some advocates point out that funding for the program was previously appropriated for Summer 2025.
House Bill 100 passed the Senate with a 26-0 vote with three members not voting. The bill now heads to Governor Cox's desk for final approval which he is expected to give.
