Nutritious meals are essential for the health and academic success of students. During the previous two school years, the U.S. Department of Education issued waivers that empowered schools to serve free, fully reimbursed meals to all students. Now that the waivers have expired, many eligible families have been caught off guard by the required, burdensome application process, and student meal debt is on the rise. A new report from the Center for American Progress highlights 5 states – California, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota, and New Mexico – where lawmakers have acted to approve free meals for all students. Some states have also temporarily extended the pandemic-era waivers, while others have taken permanent steps towards making all school meals free. NewDEAL Leaders are leading the charge in Massachusetts, where Representative Andy Vargas’ efforts secured one year extension of universal free meals  in the state’s budget. In New Jersey, Senator Troy Singleton successfully passed a package of bills to expand free school meals, while assisting and educating parents on enrollment. And Nevada Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui recently introduced legislation to create a universal school breakfast and lunch program. These examples can serve as models for other states to take action and help students thrive by reducing financial hardship and administrative burdens imposed by the current system.