LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A free lunch for kids doesn’t come without a price tag for taxpayers.
Assembly Bill 319 (AB319) sets up a universal free breakfast and lunch program for students in Nevada. The program will cost $50 million per year.
Assemblywoman Sanda Jauregui (D-Clark County) introduced the bill Thursday, and it has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means.
“No student should ever go hungry in the classroom,” Jauregui tweeted on Feb. 14 when she requested the bill draft. Funding for many food security programs has come from federal COVID-19 relief programs, and that aid is temporary.
The bill provides funding for the first two years of the program — $100 million.
Universal free breakfast and lunch for students would begin July 1, 2023, if the legislation wins approval and gets Gov. Joe Lombardo’s signature.
