The new bill authored by State Rep. Joe Sheehan aims to expand state support for schools providing free breakfast and lunch to students to address child hunger during the school day, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “providing state aid to reimburse public and private schools that provide free meals to all pupils for the costs of those meals and making an appropriation. (FE)”.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill provides additional state aid to public and private schools in Wisconsin that offer free meals to all students, starting with the 2025-26 school year. To qualify for the state reimbursement, schools must participate in both the National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program and offer at least one free lunch and breakfast per day to any student who requests it. The state reimbursement will be equal to the federal rate for meals provided to children eligible for free meals, minus any federal reimbursements the school receives. If a school does not meet these requirements, it will continue to receive a $0.15 reimbursement per breakfast under existing programs. The intended aim is to ensure that no school-age child in the state experiences hunger during the school day. The bill takes effect the day after publication, with new reimbursement provisions beginning July 1, 2026.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Chris Larson (Democrat-7th District), Representative Clinton M. Anderson (Democrat-45th District), Representative Deb Andraca (Democrat-23rd District), Representative Margaret Arney (Democrat-18th District), Representative Mike Bare (Democrat-80th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), Senator Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (Democrat-18th District), and Senator Dora E. Drake (Democrat-4th District), along 49 other co-sponsors.
Joe Sheehan has co-authored another two bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Sheehan graduated from Michigan State University in 1981 with a BA.
Sheehan, a Democrat, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state’s 26th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Terry Katsma.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB48 | 02/17/2025 | Providing state aid to reimburse public and private schools that provide free meals to all pupils for the costs of those meals and making an appropriation. (FE) |
