(ONN) – A new bill would provide free meals for students in Ohio schools.

Ohio Senate Bill 109 is a bipartisan effort to provide free meals to kindergarten through twelfth grade students in Ohio public and charter schools.

This would include both breakfast and lunch.

Health experts say proper nutrition is critical in the learning process and many Ohio children don’t have that access at home.

Eliminating the cost also destigmatizes the free meal students and provides much needed financial relief for struggling families.

Truancy is also expected to decline as a result of the free meals.