Signatures were submitted for a North Dakota constitutional amendment that would provide free meals to students. If enough valid signatures are found, North Dakota voters will decide on the measure on Nov. 3, 2026.

The initiative, sponsored by Together for School Meals, would amend the constitution to require all public schools to provide one free breakfast and one free lunch to students each school day. Under the amendment, schools that provide these meals would be eligible for reimbursement if they first maximize federal reimbursement. Under the amendment, if the Legislative Assembly is unable to identify a source of funds for reimbursement, the funds will be appropriated from the state's Legacy Earnings fund.

Together for School Meals reported submitting 57,229 signatures to the secretary of state’s office. The initiative will need at least 31,164 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. This equals 4% of the state's population reported in the last decennial census. The secretary of state’s office has until May 14 to verify the signatures.

According to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, an estimated 47,000 children in the state receive free or reduced-cost meals, and there are a total of 120,000 K-12 students in the state. Currently, students are eligible for free lunch and breakfast programs if their household is below 225% of the federal poverty guideline (estimated to be $74,250 for a family of four). The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction estimated the cost of the program to be $140 million for two years.

As of September 2025, 13 states have policies that provide both a free breakfast and lunch to all students, while three states have policies providing free breakfast to all students. California became the first state to implement the policy (going into effect for the 2022-2023 school year), while New York was the most recent state to implement the policy for the 2025-2026 school year. Twenty-five (25) states have introduced a policy providing free meals to all students.

If the measure makes the ballot, it will join two other constitutional amendments on the Nov. 2026 ballot—one amendment that will change legislative term limits, and another that would require a 60% supermajority to approve new constitutional amendments. North Dakota voters will also decide on a constitutional amendment that would create a single-subject requirement for new amendments on June 9, 2026.