In March 2020, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with the support of Congress, moved quickly to provide regulatory flexibility to schools in how they served meals to needy children. That added flexibility, in the form of waivers to requirements under the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP), has been critical to ensuring schools can navigate virtual learning, social distancing, supply chain shortages, and other challenges brought on by the pandemic.
While these waivers were extended through the 2021-2022 school year, they are now set to expire at the end of June. With schools still reeling from pandemic impacts, this is too soon and could potentially put tens of thousands of children at risk of going hungry next year. Congress should move to grant USDA the authority to extend the waivers through the 2022-2023 school year.
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