Vermont has become the sixth state to enact a permanent universal free meals program.
Gov. Phil Scott allowed H.165 to become a law without his signature on Wednesday. It will utilize state funds to provide public school students in the state free breakfast and lunch daily at school, and will go into effect on July 1.
Independent schools may be able to opt into the program for students who attend on public tuition if they participate in federal meal programs such as the National School Lunch Program.
Vermont was one of a handful of states to continue offering universal free meals after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s pandemic-era waivers that allowed schools to feed kids for free expired last year.
The state joins California, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico in offering universal free school meals on a permanent basis.
See which states currently offer universal free meals via the map below: