116 HR 5308 IH: Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-12-05
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of contents
(a)This Act may be cited as the Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2019
. (b)The table of contents for this Act are as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Title I—Repeal of Reduced Price Breakfasts and Lunches
Sec. 101. Repeal of reduced price breakfasts.
Sec. 102. Repeal of reduced price lunches.
Title II—Expansion of Free Lunch Eligibility
Sec. 201. Poverty level for free lunch.
Sec. 202. Direct certification for children receiving Medicaid benefits.
Sec. 203. Direct certification for children enrolled in CHIP.
Sec. 204. Retroactive reimbursement.
Sec. 205. Increase of community eligibility program multiplier.
<enum>I</enum><header>Repeal of Reduced Price Breakfasts and Lunches</header>
<section id="H9948A41576FB4CA7B3F4E4B905012BE3"><enum>101.</enum><header>Repeal of reduced price breakfasts</header>
<subsection id="H0CB513B899B445BEA582D4441432DB77"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1758">42 U.S.C. 1758</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC5088A16A87B49298586F1123563D61C" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H0D2349697B6A476F9CF18DCE72F0F9FE"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Repeal of reduced price breakfasts</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the reduced price breakfast program is repealed and the Secretary may not provide reimbursements for reduced price breakfasts under this section.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="HBEA92BC62B4B43DC9E36DE97B4FE959B"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Conforming amendments</header><text>The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1771">42 U.S.C. 1771</external-xref> et seq.) is amended—</text> <paragraph id="H7FDE653BB377449DABCB63646837A5FF"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>or reduced price</quote> each place it appears;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H481EBD14BD9044679E1C0968461C9F0D"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking <quote>for a reduced price</quote> each place it appears;</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HCA23ED93C5FA47F797E23BFCF90CE0FE"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by striking <quote>or at a reduced price</quote> each place it appears;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HA997A277BB8B42F883462F047622F7B1"><enum>(4)</enum><text>by striking <quote>for reduced price breakfasts</quote> each place it appears; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H4FA2B531E34141798117D02C5F412711"><enum>(5)</enum><text>by striking <quote>and reduced price</quote> each place it appears.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HD0AB0E8A10434ACD9CF4269277B88330"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Further conforming amendments</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 4(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1758">42 U.S.C. 1758(b)</external-xref>) is amended—</text> <paragraph id="H8DC292DA588F401AA4839402FEDD2BDB"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in paragraph (1)—</text>
<subparagraph id="HED35BAFE755C4327B25E256C0F3D905B"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B), by striking the second sentence; and</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="H1D78D256380D43AA9A665FEE6F8E564D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking subparagraph (C); and</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H18A3FC4D79164E109E2E36E64E1DCCC7"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (C).</text> </paragraph></subsection></section><section id="HE95BF2B6FD5343B3ACE2A18D7BD993D8"><enum>102.</enum><header>Repeal of reduced price lunches</header> <subsection id="H1C2B1547467040AC901AF53F1E99BA00"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1751">42 U.S.C. 1751</external-xref> et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB9574138B4704F27B99CE7CF0D0FBBC2" style="OLC">
<section id="H94815B9788A24AD299036BBEEA5070DB"><enum>30.</enum><header>Repeal of reduced price lunches</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the reduced price lunch program is repealed and the Secretary may not provide reimbursements for reduced price lunches under this Act.</text></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H4AE4E673BBC94C98A2E40FD652D80023"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Conforming amendments</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1751">42 U.S.C. 1751</external-xref> et seq.) is amended—</text> <paragraph id="HC23C1BE8541F4A94AE2D32B9B859C10D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>or reduced price</quote> each place it appears;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HA1F98F370F0D4CC1A63842139083B929"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking <quote>or a reduced price</quote> each place it appears;</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H03D7A00BF24B47FAB831A598687E391D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by striking <quote>or reduced-price</quote> each place it appears;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H431BEBD98B1548C7B08F1FB14817CA69"><enum>(4)</enum><text>by striking <quote>and reduced price</quote> each place it appears; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HA8707F15558441B099B3F092C0AB028B"><enum>(5)</enum><text>by striking <quote>a reduced price</quote> each place it appears.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Expansion of Free Lunch Eligibility</header>
<section id="H7BABDEDEEE9E45C8A8F87B638D70DAAB"><enum>201.</enum><header>Poverty level for free lunch</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 9(b)(1)(A) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1758">42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1)(A)</external-xref>) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="HD770D3C04B774F7C926BA6215B428263"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking the third sentence; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H5AD09FBF528B43519CAA65251C0F6B11"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking <quote>130 percent</quote> and inserting <quote>200 percent</quote>.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="H2F0CE3FA83964F46A51F7CEDE9964AFD"><enum>202.</enum><header>Direct certification for children receiving Medicaid benefits</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 9(b)(15) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1758">42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(15)</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H6E3E2E39677142759B920A7F8A7F9589" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H5D12FA57368D469FA6542445156F2BB6"><enum>(15)</enum><header>Direct certification for children receiving Medicaid benefits</header>
<subparagraph id="H845CC0D6D33840A09152C0876A84070A"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Agreement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Expanding Access to School Meals Act of 2019, each State agency shall enter into an agreement with the one or more State agencies conducting eligibility determinations for the Medicaid program.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HFB604F41E3C240B2A739090526606CA8"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Procedures</header><text>Subject to paragraph (6), the agreement shall establish procedures under which an eligible child shall be certified for free lunches under this Act and free breakfasts under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1773">42 U.S.C. 1773</external-xref>), without further application.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDF651D8B5AEB47ABB514456C693E21A7"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Certification</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to paragraph (6), under the agreement, the local educational agencies for a school lunch program under this Act and a school breakfast program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1771">42 U.S.C. 1771</external-xref> et seq.) shall certify an eligible child as eligible for free lunches under this Act and free breakfasts under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1773">42 U.S.C. 1773</external-xref>), without further application.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HFDE91F8C9E2F4E3694EA54E3CFD9EF68"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this paragraph:</text> <clause id="HEC9935E60EB1467D84DF709ED2E0179B"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Eligible child</header><text>The term <term>eligible child</term> means a child—</text>
<subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H0674F5578E6B4D85AED038F55B521517"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is a member of a family that meets the income eligibility requirements under paragraph (1)(A); and</text> </subclause><subclause id="H82391176C089487F81FE3225A2F1D76D"><enum>(II)</enum><text>is enrolled in medical assistance under a Medicaid State plan (or a waiver of such plan) under title XIX of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1396">42 U.S.C. 1396</external-xref> et seq.)</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="H7358DA4D7C144EE3A4EF3C6BFF674285"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Medicaid program</header><text>The term Medicaid program means the program of medical assistance established under title XIX of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1396">42 U.S.C. 1396</external-xref> et seq.).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H5B9F859591444328BF6FF8140DD46E11"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Applicability</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">This paragraph applies to—</text> <clause commented="no" id="H6820792BAA464A2C87C9EFA5F1E2238A"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in the case of the school year beginning July 2020, a school district that had an enrollment of 25,000 students or more in the preceding school year;</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="H5533C88258B24F2EBFA7CFA254C527D8"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in the case of the school year beginning July 2021, a school district that had an enrollment of 10,000 students or more in the preceding school year; and</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="H81CC42D60A9C48B9B3CB31F17DCDDB62"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>in the case of the school year beginning July 2022, and each subsequent school year, each local educational agency.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section id="H8BBF5862F1E945DE8D550623DEDA41A9"><enum>203.</enum><header>Direct certification for children enrolled in CHIP</header>
<text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1758">42 U.S.C. 1758(b)</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H48E1FF400BC543988069BD5EF359189E" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HD57AA86490D94075B89C934B4322171F"><enum>(16)</enum><header>Direct certification for children enrolled in CHIP</header>
<subparagraph id="H6E24107043EC44118D404EA97DFB79F1"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Agreement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, each State agency shall enter into an agreement with the State agency conducting eligibility determinations for child health assistance under a State child health plan (or a waiver of such plan) under title XXI of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1397">42 U.S.C. 1397</external-xref> et seq.).</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H5EB4E91BC4C4483196F32175AABCC8A0"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Procedures</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to paragraph (6), the agreement shall establish procedures under which an eligible child shall be certified as eligible for free lunches under this Act and free breakfasts under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1773">42 U.S.C. 1773</external-xref>), without further application.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H328EFFE4E5124680B9DB8263689B733A"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Certification</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to paragraph (6), under the agreement, the local educational agency conducting eligibility determinations for a school lunch program under this Act and a school breakfast program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1771">42 U.S.C. 1771</external-xref> et seq.) shall certify an eligible child as eligible for free lunches under this Act and free breakfasts under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1773">42 U.S.C. 1773</external-xref>), without further application.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H22EFFB36805B4C0F897F6C2911AB84C0"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Eligible child defined</header><text>In this paragraph, the term <term>eligible child</term> means a child who—</text> <clause commented="no" id="H6E614C8608124D09AA34F9CA372A967F"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is a member of a family that meets the income eligibility requirements under paragraph (1)(A); and</text>
</clause><clause id="H3776F4D5922E43179BB4D8F702673041"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>is enrolled in child health assistance under a State child health plan (or a waiver of such plan) under title XXI of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1397">42 U.S.C. 1397</external-xref> et seq.)</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H91C7248E41064402981C766431B23849"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Applicability</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">This paragraph applies to—</text> <clause commented="no" id="H38C9A7B693B04D68A4404995216E285F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in the case of the school year beginning July 2020, a school district that had an enrollment of 25,000 students or more in the preceding school year;</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="H38ECE206A19340DEB360E0BD44A20861"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in the case of the school year beginning July 2021, a school district that had an enrollment of 10,000 students or more in the preceding school year; and</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" id="HB7995C7E3A9B4BF3BAFC32C5E3B19D91"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>in the case of the school year beginning July 2022, and each subsequent school year, each local educational agency.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section id="H9041D0D0AA60467E8E772F78A07E6586"><enum>204.</enum><header>Retroactive reimbursement</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 9(b)(9)(C) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1758">42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(9)(C)</external-xref>) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H8C9AC87503EB4AAA91FF83FC2391892B"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>Except</quote> and inserting the following:</text> <quoted-block id="HAD1F81AAAF3A448CA7A553FD8744663D" style="OLC"> <clause id="HDE3452F048374EDCA56FD671954AA3B7"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Except</text></clause><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H434811A0F7E04CB799DB486BFF9143F0"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II); and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HA69B70AAED0044FDBB74952F574825A9"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H60B0F6D5096043CD8239912A186D1466" style="OLC">
<clause id="HB5565389171A4EDAB327978A1E95F514"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Retroactivity</header><text>A local educational agency shall revise a previously submitted meal claim to reflect the eligibility approval of a child for free meals for the period that begins on the earlier of the following:</text>
<subclause id="H2B3DD4C1C9DB46E4BB0A7CAB687EA507"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The first day of the current school year.</text> </subclause><subclause id="H1A00CC83C08845AB8ED6281092665E8D"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The date that is 90 days prior to the date of such eligibility approval.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="HEFF9BABE02FF4F0E93469E82DCE1628E"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Meal claim defined</header><text>In this subsection, the term <term>meal claim</term> means any documentation provided by a school food authority to a State agency in order to receive reimbursement for the cost of a meal served to a child by such school food authority.</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></section><section id="HF40AA6CDD9E849B68B5040C200914FDF"><enum>205.</enum><header>Increase of community eligibility program multiplier</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 11(a)(1)(F) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1759a">42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)(F)</external-xref>) is amended by striking clause (vii) and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9A1139591A504AB5B5AE9C044435C99D" style="OLC">
<clause id="H644F1AE9EAF54741880913D87A6822C8"><enum>(vii)</enum><header>Multiplier</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For each school year beginning on or after July 1, 2020, the multiplier shall be 1.8</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </section>