National School Lunch Act

Common card · No. 470901

The National School Lunch Act (79 P.L. 396, 60 Stat. 230) is a 1946 United States federal law that created the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to provide low-cost or free school lunch meals to qualified students through subsidies to schools. Prior to the passage of the Act, direct support of school lunches were done on the state level, or it was provided through federal aid that was not specifically designed for school lunches. The program was established as a way to prop up food prices by absorbing farm surpluses, while at the same time providing food to school-age children. The Act was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in 1946 and entered the federal government into schools' dietary programs on June 4, 1946. In 1999, the act's name was changed to honor Richard Russell Jr., senator from Georgia, who championed its passage. Since its passage, it has received many amendments and updates due to price, safety, and health concerns; it has been a subject of heavy debate within...

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