August 20, 2025
Deputies from the `A Just Russia – For Truth` political faction are set to introduce a significant bill in the State Duma aimed at providing free hot meals to all students attending state and municipal schools. This comprehensive initiative, spearheaded by party leader Sergey Mironov and Dmitry Gusev, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Control Committee, is anticipated to be formally submitted for consideration this Wednesday.
The proposed legislation seeks to broaden the scope of free meal provisions across all educational stages, encompassing primary, basic, and secondary general education. This marks a substantial expansion from current policies, which primarily guarantee free hot meals only for elementary school students and children belonging to specific vulnerable categories, such as those from large families, orphans, and children with disabilities.
Sergey Mironov articulated the underlying social motivations for this legislative push. He recalled that back in 2020, when the law on free meals for junior grades was first adopted, there was already an ongoing discussion regarding the necessity of extending this vital measure to include students in grades 5 through 11. Mironov strongly asserted that the existing disparities in access to nutritious school meals, often dictated by family income, inadvertently foster an “attribute of inequality” among children. He affirmed that this new bill is specifically designed to rectify this imbalance and ensure equitable access to proper nutrition for all students.
Dmitry Gusev further underscored the public health benefits that the proposed bill is expected to yield. He pointed out that with over 18 million schoolchildren currently in Russia, a notable portion already grapple with chronic illnesses, a condition that can often be partly attributed to irregular or inadequate eating habits. Gusev expressed his firm conviction that the nationwide implementation of this initiative would not only provide immense peace of mind for parents regarding their children`s daily nutrition but would also represent a crucial and impactful step towards significantly enhancing child health across the entire country.
