Hunger-Free Schools Act (LB966)
Summary
Nebraska's 109th Legislature passed LB966, the Hunger-Free Schools Act, establishing a statewide program to provide free meals to all public school students. The bill requires schools to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to students regardless of family income. Sponsor Senator Machaela Cavanaugh advanced the bill through amendments, with final passage on April 8, 2026.
What changed
LB966 enacts the Hunger-Free Schools Act in Nebraska, requiring all public schools to provide free meals to students regardless of income eligibility. The bill establishes state funding mechanisms to reimburse schools for meals that would otherwise be unpaid or subsidized. Schools must implement breakfast and lunch programs meeting federal nutritional standards at no charge to students.
Public schools and school districts in Nebraska must restructure meal service operations to accommodate universal free meals, potentially requiring changes toPoint-of-Sale systems, meal counting procedures, and financial reporting to the Department of Education. Schools should monitor for implementing regulations and budget guidance from the Nebraska Department of Education regarding reimbursement rates and program requirements.
What to do next
- Review LB966 requirements and determine school meal program modifications needed
- Update food service budgets and procurement to accommodate universal free meals
- Coordinate with Nebraska Department of Education on implementation timeline and reporting
Archived snapshot
Apr 8, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Nebraska / LB966 Passed LB966 LB Passed 2026-04-02
Adopt the Hunger-Free Schools Act
Bill Details
State Nebraska
Session 109th Legislature
Chamber House
Official Source nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.ph...
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Machaela Cavanaugh (Sen - N)
Action History
2026-04-08 L Cavanaugh, M. AM3120 adopted 2026-04-08 L Kauth FA622 withdrawn 2026-04-07 L Cavanaugh, M. AM3120 filed 2026-04-07 L Placed on Select File 2026-04-02 L Advanced to Enrollment and Review Initial 2026-02-24 L Placed on General File 2026-02-19 L Hunt priority bill 2026-02-06 L Notice of hearing for February 17, 2026 2026-01-14 L Referred to Education Committee 2026-01-13 L Kauth FA622 filed 2026-01-12 L Date of introduction
Votes
2026-04-02 Advanced to Enrollment and Review Initial Yea: 32 Nay: 7 2026-04-08 Cavanaugh, M. AM3120 adopted Yea: 36 Nay: 12
Committee Referrals
2026-01-14 L Education
Amendments
2026-01-13 Kauth FA622 2026-04-07 Cavanaugh, M. AM3120
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-12 Introduced Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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