From the article: "The COVID-19 pandemic focused national attention on food insecurity, equity, and the role of school meal programs in supporting children, families, and communities. In doing so, the pandemic created a rare policy window—an opportunity to advance a longstanding public health goal of guaranteed access to free school meals for all students. In July 2021, California and Maine became the first states to authorize school meal for all legislation (also known as universal free meals). The aim of this study was to explore perspectives of policymakers, state agency officials, and advocates on the conditions and mechanisms that facilitated passage of school meal for all legislation in California and Maine."