New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin has introduced legislation that would require all schools in the state to provide free breakfast to every student, regardless of family income.

The proposal would expand access to free school breakfast regardless of family income or whether students attend public or nonpublic schools.

Agudath Israel had lobbied for the inclusion of nonpublic school students, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that all students are included in efforts to make free school breakfast available to every student in New Jersey.

In a statement, Shlomo Schorr, legislative director of Agudath Israel’s New Jersey office, expressed his appreciation to the Speaker for the legislation and to Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D-Lakewood) for working to ensure that students attending yeshivas and Jewish day schools are also included.

Schorr noted that the legislation would help ease the burden on families facing rising food prices and other household expenses while ensuring that more students begin their school day with the nutrition they need to learn and thrive.

“Including nonpublic school students is particularly important for yeshivas and Jewish day schools, where the higher cost of kosher food can make school meal programs more expensive to operate,” Schorr said.

“At a time when families are struggling with rising food prices and the cost of living, expanding access to free school breakfast is an important step toward addressing food insecurity and helping children succeed in the classroom,” he added.

Schorr expressed particular appreciation to Schnall for working to ensure that nonpublic school students are included, noting that yeshiva and Jewish day school families face the same economic pressures as other households and that their children deserve equal access to nutritional benefits.

This legislation builds on an earlier law signed by former Governor Phil Murphy in 2024 that expanded the lunch program for more children, and thanks to Agudath Israel, was also inclusive of nonpublic children, allowing hundreds of families to experience significant savings when it comes to providing lunch for their children every day.

Agudath Israel said it looks forward to continuing to work with Coughlin, Schnall and other legislative leaders to advance policies that address food insecurity and ensure children throughout New Jersey have access to nutritious meals.