Long Island, NY – Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, prime sponsor of Universal School Meals Act, joined Governor Kathy Hochul at Westbury Middle School on Long Island to announce the inclusion of free breakfast and lunch for all students (A00282/S00594) in the State of the State budget proposal. In September of last year, legislators and advocates rallied on Long Island to call on the governor to help end child hunger by closing the gap and guaranteeing that school children, no matter their family’s income level, can receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at no cost, every school day.

“Across the state working families are asking us to address affordability and the rising rates of hunger. Today is a step forward in ensuring that no student in New York goes hungry as they learn in our schools. The Governor’s announcement in support of universal school meals is a demonstration of leadership in addressing both of these issues and I’m proud to have carried the Universal School Meals Act with Senator Michelle Hinchey for over two years. Fully funding universal school meals is a critical next step in addressing stigma in schools, nourishing our young people, and saving families about $165 in grocery spending per child each month. I cannot think of a more important function for those of us in government than to eliminate hunger for hundreds of thousands of students. I’m eternally grateful to the coalition who helped us get here. Let’s get this done,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, prime sponsor of the Assembly bill.

Historic investments in the 2024 ($135 million) and 2025 ($145 million) state budgets dramatically expanded access to school meals, enabling an additional 1,400 schools to offer free school meals to nearly 384,000 additional students. This resulted in a 12 percent increase in the school meal program participation across New York in the first six months.

However, across the state, 284,000 students still don’t have access to free school meals with 47% of students (135,00 students) living on Long Island and 23% (66,000 students) in the Hudson Valley – regions with high costs of living and stark income inequality. By closing the gap and fully funding school meals, New York families would save an estimated $165 per child per month, to put toward other basic living expenses.

Fully funding universal school meals would eliminate the stigma attached to the program and encourage all students to participate in the program. A Siena poll found that 77 percent of registered New York voters support state funding for Universal School Meals. Strong support held across party lines, with 63 percent of Republicans in support, and across geography, income, race, and age.

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Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “The Governor’s pledge to fund our vision for a Universal School Meals program in her Executive Budget is a monumental step forward for New York, taking us leaps and bounds closer to ending food insecurity in schools, eliminating social stigma and meal debt, and putting tangible savings back into families’ pockets. I’m honored to lead this effort in the Senate, and together, alongside Assemblymember González-Rojas and an incredible coalition of advocates, parents, and teachers, we’re not only ready to bring Universal School Meals to New York—we’re going to make it happen this year.”

“We applaud the Governor’s historic proposal to provide universal free school breakfast and lunch to every student across the state,” said Andrés Vives, Chief Executive Officer of Hunger Solutions New York, co-lead of the Healthy School Meals for All New York Kids coalition. “Universal free school meals will save families money while supporting students’ learning and health. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support for this policy in the Legislature and the tireless advocacy of prime sponsors Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas and Senator Michelle Hinchey. We look forward to working with the Governor and legislative leaders to ensure universal school meals are fully funded in the final state budget.”

“The Healthy School Meals for All Coalition has always believed in the power of government to work for the good of the people. Universal Free School Meals is an immediately tangible and prime example of this principle in action,” said Liz Accles, Executive Director, Community Food Advocates. “We thank our partners Assemblymember Gonzalez-Rojas and Senator Hinchey for leading the way in the legislature, and Governor Hochul for championing this issue and making it a top priority in her State of the State –we are absolutely thrilled.”

“Students that go hungry are students who are not able to properly study. No child in 2025 should be concerned over where to get a nutritious meal. Agudath Israel has been a proud member of the Healthy School Meals for all coalition from its inception. We are thrilled that Governor Hochul is proposing this in the State of the State. We admire the persistence of bill sponsors Assemblymember Gonzales Rojas and Senator Hinchey in leading this effort along with the other coalition partners,” said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Director of New York Government Relations at Agudath Israel of America.