The Pennsylvania House yesterday moved to create a program that would wipe away large amounts of student lunch debt and reinstate a ban on “lunch shaming,” which had been enacted and then repealed in the commonwealth several years ago. During Monday’s session, the House gave final approval to a bill that would bar public schools from denying students’ meals or forcing them to eat low-cost alternatives if they have been unable to pay for regular cafeteria food — a practice commonly called “lunch shaming.” The bill would also prohibit schools from restricting students’ ability to participate in school activities due to unpaid lunch bills and would set up an $80 million state fund to reimburse districts for forgiving students’ lunch debts. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled state Senate for consideration.
