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MIAMI – All public-school students in Florida would receive free breakfast and lunch if a proposed bill in the Florida Legislature is approved.

State Senator Lori Berman, a Democrat from Palm Beach County, has filed SB 74 for a food program to feed all students during and after school hours.

Some school districts in Florida make students pay for breakfast and lunch.

The school districts in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties offer free meals to all students through the National School Lunch Program.

Berman said most of the money for that currently comes from the federal government, and the state would only have to supplement a small amount.

She said there has been some pushback on the free and reduced lunch program nationwide, and she says she’s optimistic and hopes this might help to break the stigma behind free and reduced lunches.
“The research is that when kids are hungry, they can’t focus.” said Berman. “And when they can’t focus, they’re not able to learn. And that’s a real problem for us and for them to succeed. We don’t want children to graduate who don’t have the skills necessary to be in the workforce.”

A similar bill was filed last year but it died in the House.