California will provide free lunch to all school children amid the rising inflation and food insecurity, making it the first state in the U.S. to enforce such initiative.

NBC San Diego reported that school children in California will be qualified for free breakfast and lunch regardless of their families' income level starting this year.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 30 into law last July. The program is part of the measure that was signed by the Democratic governor. The meal program for school children in California is state and federally funded.

READ NEXT: George Gascon Remains as Los Angeles County District Attorney as Recall Petition Fails

Free Lunch for California School Children

Under the new law, all kindergarten through 12th-grade public schools must provide two free meals, breakfast and lunch, during each school day.

CBS News noted that students requesting a meal should be provided with it for free despite the student's free or reduced-price meal eligibility.

California already had a free or reduced meal program enforced across the state. However, the program was based on household income.

The law also provides $150 million in funding to support kitchen facility upgrades, including nutrition-related staff training to prepare employees for the implementation of the universal meals program.

Erin Primer noted in a USA Today report that the free meals are "historic" and "beyond life-changing" for students. 

Primer, the director of San Luis Coastal Unified School District in food and nutrition services, added that officials have managed to level "the playing field when it comes to school food."

Research from Emily Gutierrez of Brown University's Annenberg Institute noted that there were students who were previously eligible for free lunches in New York but did not take those.

Experts noted that at least one-third of eligible kids from low-income families did not join in the past as they did not want to be seen as poor and bullied.

Nonprofit Feeding America noted that more than 21 percent of Black individuals may have faced food insecurity in 2021 as compared to 11% of white people.

The organization runs hundreds of food banks across the country.

Free Meals for U.S. School Children

Aside from California, Minnesota will also be offering free lunch for school children.

Gov. Tim Walz announced that tens of thousands of additional Minnesota school children will be eligible for free meals with the state and federal agencies' efforts, according to a KARE11 News report.

Walz's office released a statement noting that Minnesota was one of eight states selected to be part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture pilot program. The governor said that the expansion of free and reduced school lunches is a huge win for families and schools in the state.

The program is set to increase eligibility and reduce costs for schools to follow the federal Community Eligibility Provision.

Walz said that more than 200,000 students enrolled in Medicaid will be part of free meals at schools in the state.

READ MORE: Texas Police Shoot, Kill Gunman at Youth Summer Camp After He Opened Fire

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: California becomes first state to offer all kids free school breakfast, lunch - from CBS 8 San Diego