Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2026

Access to Literacy Resources: Students participating in the summer lunch program will receive access to school libraries and literacy activities or expanded learning opportunities through summer early reading programs (Section 2(5)).

Support for At-Risk Readers: The bill targets schools where at least 50 percent of students in grades prekindergarten through grade 3 are reading below grade level or are at risk of reading below grade level (Section 2(1)(B)).

Community Involvement: Subgrants allow local educational agencies to work with community partners to develop and implement summer early reading programs (Section 3(d)(4)(A)).

Administrative Requirements: State library administrative agencies must submit applications containing specific information required by the Secretary, including how they will award subgrants and how they will disseminate information (Section 3(b)).

Reporting Burdens: Both State library administrative agencies and eligible local educational agencies are required to submit annual reports to the Secretary regarding the progress made in achieving the purposes of the grant or subgrant (Section 3(e)).

Application Requirements for Schools: Eligible local educational agencies must submit applications that include descriptions of school lunch sites, proof of meeting specific student reading requirements, and descriptions of their proposed programs and community partnerships (Section 3(d)(2)).