TODAY: Support Free School Meals (HB2213 Hearing @ 2PM)

School meals address child hunger in Arizona, and House Bill 2213 Appropriation, free school meals will be heard in the House Education Committee on Tuesday, January 28th at 2 PM in Room HHR1! 

This bill appropriates $3.8M  from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to Arizona's Department of Education to provide meals to children in their own school every day and the bill explicitly states its intent that this $3.8 million allocation should be considered ongoing funding in future budget years. At a time when parents are struggling with rising costs, this investment is significant to sustaining these meal support programs beyond the initial fiscal year.   

Please show your support by:  

• Signing into Request to Speak (RTS) to indicate your support on the bill if you have an RTS account. The RTS application allows you to register your opinion and leave a comment for the committee members, which is a simple and effective way to show support.  
• Showing up at the House Education Committee hearing! Attendance and support are key, as in-person turnout demonstrates that many are enthusiastic about this investment.   
• Contacting House Education Committee members email TODAY prior to the committee meeting on Tuesday, January 28 at 2:00 PM. As advocates, the individual outreach stresses to these members that this appropriation is a top priority for our state. The House Education Committee members are (* are the bill sponsors):
  • Representative Gress, Chairman  
  • Representative Taylor, Vice-Chairman  
  • Representative Abeytia*   
  • Representative Gutierrez*   
  • Representative Peña  
  • Representative Biasiucci   
  • Representative Hernandez L*   
  • Representative Simacek*  
  • Representative Fink   
  • Representative Marshall  
  • Representative Garcia*   
  • Representative Olson  

HB2213 is a significant step to ensure that economically disadvantaged students have access to nutritious meals during the school day, which can support their health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Your support is critical!