André Carson

06/11/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2026 13:17

Congressman Carson Introduces Summer Meals for Kids Act

WASHINGTON, DC-Today, Congressman André Carson (IN-07) introduced the Summer Meals for Kids Act to ensure every state opts in to the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program, which is designed to provide food aid to kids during the summer months.
Each summer, millions of children across the U.S. face hunger when school meals are no longer available. Summer EBT fills that gap, but some states - including Indiana - choose to opt-out of this federal program. The Summer Meals for Kids Act would integrate Summer EBT into the National School Lunch Program to provide critical nutrition support both during the school year and summer. An estimated 650,000 Hoosier kids are expected to miss out on summer meals in 2026 after Indiana opted out of Summer EBT.
"The National School Lunch Program ensures kids are well-fed during the school year, and we need to make that same guarantee during the summer months," said Congressman Carson. "Summer EBT funding is already set aside for this exact reason. It shouldn't matter what state they live in - no child should experience food insecurity. My bill is especially important as this administration's SNAP cuts are already taking effect and the cost of groceries continues to skyrocket. Families need even more help right now - and no state should needlessly cut resources."
Under Carson's bill:
  • Summer EBT benefits would become a standard part of the National School Lunch Program during the summer months.
  • Eligible families would automatically receive benefits through electronic benefit transfer or other approved methods, ensuring uninterrupted access to nutritious food when school meals are unavailable.
  • States would submit administration and management plans to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure effective implementation of Summer EBT.
  • The current state-by-state opt-in structure for Summer EBT would be replaced with a nationwide participation stipulation tied to the National School Lunch Program.
###
André Carson published this content on June 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 11, 2026 at 19:17 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]