CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

97

CHAPTER 35

Statutes of 2026

Introduced by Assembly Member Patel

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Caloza, Carrillo, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Jackson, Johnson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Ransom, Rivas, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Schiavo, Schultz, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Wallis, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur)

February 12, 2026

Relative to School Breakfast Week.

Fiscal committee: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

This measure would proclaim March 2, 2026, to March 6, 2026, inclusive, as School Breakfast Week.

WHEREAS, Nearly one in six California children live in food insecure households, meaning they do not have consistent access to adequate food; and

WHEREAS, California ranks 39th in the nation in school breakfast participation, and only 34 percent of pupils who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals are eating school breakfast; and

WHEREAS, More than 66 percent of California public school pupils qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, yet many of those low-income pupils are not eating the nutritious school breakfast offered due to barriers such as social stigma, late buses or carpools, long cafeteria lines, and tight class schedules; and

WHEREAS, Eating breakfast as part of the schoolday is associated with positive pupil behavioral health and academic performances, such as better test score results, improved concentration in class, lower rates of chronic absenteeism, fewer classroom disruptions, and less frequent visits to the school nurse; and

WHEREAS, Breakfast After the Bell programs, such as breakfast in the classroom, grab and go breakfast, and second chance breakfast, are proven meal delivery methods that boost school breakfast participation and related positive outcomes; and

WHEREAS, School breakfast participation is associated with a lower body mass index, which is an indicator of sustainable body fat, lower probability of being overweight, and lower probability of obesity; and

WHEREAS, As Congress debates federal spending priorities, several key nutrition and antihunger programs face proposed reductions, tighter eligibility, or funding constraints that could limit access for families nationwide; and

WHEREAS, State investments play an increasingly critical role in preventing pupils from falling through the cracks and in ensuring consistent access to healthy meals; and

WHEREAS, States across the nation have introduced legislation to require schools with a high percentage of pupils who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals implement a Breakfast After the Bell program; and

WHEREAS, If California schools increased school breakfast participation such that 50 percent of the pupils who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals participated in their school’s breakfast program, an additional 558,903 pupils would receive breakfast every day and school districts would receive more than $271,000,000 in federal meal reimbursements for their school nutrition budgets; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature proclaims March 2, 2026, to March 6, 2026, inclusive, as School Breakfast Week; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.