S. 2944 — No Shame at School Act of 2025

This section amends section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)), which governs reimbursement claims and procedures for the National School Lunch Program (i.e., reimburses schools for lunches served, at higher rates for free and reduced-price meals to low-income students), to address unpaid school meal fees as follows: (1) Makes certification of student eligibility for free or reduced-price meals by local educational agencies mandatory (from discretionary); (2) requires local educational agencies to revise previously submitted meal claims retroactively to the start of the school year upon eligibility approval; and (3) replaces anti-stigma provisions to prohibit local educational agencies or school food authorities from overtly identifying, physically segregating, or stigmatizing covered children (i.e., those eligible for free or reduced-price meals or in households owing unpaid school meal fees); requires eligibility determination or application assistance for covered children in households owing one week or more of fees; bans debt collection practices such as direct child communications (except sealed parent letters), withholding educational opportunities, and use of debt collectors (as defined in 15 U.S.C. 1692a); and prohibits discarding food already served to covered children.