YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyWorkers & JobsTransparency & AccountabilityKids who eat summer lunch at school could get a summer library and reading program — if their school wins a grant.
Your Money
Schools that already serve summer lunch could open their libraries and run reading activities for at least six weeks. A district that wins money must run the program at every summer lunch site it serves.
Workers & Jobs
Districts could use the grant money to hire and train staff to teach the summer reading sessions. Those jobs would run during the summer at the schools taking part.
Transparency & Accountability
The bill only allows money for five years, 2027 through 2031. Congress would have to act again to keep the program going after that.
More about this bill
If your child eats lunch at school over the summer, that school's library could stay open too. A new federal grant would pay for summer reading programs at those schools. Each program would run at least six weeks. Kids would get into the library and take part in reading activities. Schools could also hire and train staff to teach during the summer. Only some schools would qualify. The school must serve summer lunch. At least half of its students in prekindergarten through third grade must be behind in reading. Students at risk of falling behind by third grade count too. States would apply to the Department of Education, then pass money down to school districts. States and districts compete for the money, so not every qualifying school would get a program. The bill would allow up to $5 million a year from 2027 through 2031.
Congressional Summary
Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2026 This bill establishes a grant program to support summer early reading programs held at schools with a summer lunch site.Specifically, the Department of Education must use funds provided for the program to award competitive grants to state library administrative agencies to enable them to award subgrants to eligible local educational agencies for summer early reading programs held at schools with a summer lunch site.The program is open to local educational agencies that include schools where at least 50% of the students in prekindergarten through grade 3 are (1) reading below grade level at grade 3, or (2) at risk of reading below grade level at grade 3.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-08-06
- Date Added
- 2026-08-19
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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