What's happening
The MEAL Act requires New York public schools to offer plant-based, halal, and kosher meal or snack options at no extra cost.
Why it matters
Increases food inclusivity and cultural sensitivity in public schools. , ensuring that students with religious dietary needs (halal, kosher) and those avoiding animal products are not excluded or forced to bring their own meals.
Reduces stigma and peer differences. for students who require alternative meals, as these options must be offered as standard choices, not special accommodations.
Mandates cost parity. , so families who need or prefer plant-based, halal, or kosher options are not financially penalized compared to those choosing standard meals.
Requires schools to manage meal selection logistics. , as students or their guardians must be able to select or change their meal preference up to three times per school year, impacting food service planning and administrative tracking.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Alternative School Lunches
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1087
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. JACKSON, WEPRIN, SHIMSKY, HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "making equitable and alternative lunches (MEAL) act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "making equitable and alternative lunches (MEAL) act".
§ 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 915-a to read as follows:
§ 915-a. Alternative school meal and snack options. 1. As used in this section:
(a) "Plant-based food option" means food or beverages that are free of animal products and, as relates to the "protein" portion of a meal, recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture as a meat alternate for purposes of the national school lunch program.
(b) "Animal product" means meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey, and any derivative thereof.
2. Every public school shall offer a plant-based food option, a halal food option and a kosher food option as an alternative to every meal or snack offered in food service to any student who chooses such alternative meal or snack as an option pursuant to subdivision three of this section.
3. A student or person in parental relation to the student shall have the option to select an alternative meal or snack option at the beginning of the school year and two additional times during the school year as determined by such public school district.
4. The alternative food options described in this section shall be offered at no additional cost to the student beyond what would be charged for a comparable non-alternative food option.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to public school food service beginning with the school year, as defined in the education law, beginning one year after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02352-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.