[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 628 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 628

   To amend the National School Lunch Act to restore food supplement 
  benefits under the dependent care food program to adolescent youth.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 1993

  Mr. Owens introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the National School Lunch Act to restore food supplement 
  benefits under the dependent care food program to adolescent youth.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Adolescent Nutritional Equity Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) a nutritionally balanced diet is essential to good 
        health;
            (2) children in their years of growth are especially 
        vulnerable to nutritionally affected health risks;
            (3) children experience a significant growth spurt in their 
        adolescent years in which height typically may increase by 20 
        percent and body weight may double;
            (4) the years between 13 and 18 are the principal ages in 
        which children change from teenagers to adults both physically 
        and mentally;
            (5) due to rapid growth, nutrition requirements increase 
        during the adolescent years;
            (6) inadequate nutrition in the adolescent years may lead 
        to ill health in later life, and may increase the risk of 
        contracting the degenerative diseases of aging;
            (7) lower income adolescents are at greater risk of not 
        receiving proper nutrition;
            (8) food assistance provided through the dependent care 
        food program to after-school programs for adolescents can play 
        a critical role in ensuring that the nutritional needs of these 
        young people are fully met; and
            (9) eligibility for assistance under the dependent care 
        food program for adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 
        should be restored.

SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF ADOLESCENT ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) Section 17(a) of the National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1766(a)) is amended in the fourth sentence--
            (1) by striking ``12'' and inserting ``18''; and
            (2) by striking ``children of migrant workers if 15 years 
        of age or less or for children with handicaps'' and inserting 
        ``children with disabilities''.
    (b) Section 17A(b) of the National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1766a(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``not more than 12 years 
        of age'' and inserting ``18 years of age or less''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``in the case of children 
        of migrant workers or children with handicaps, who are not more 
        than 15 years of age'' and inserting ``children with 
        disabilities of any age''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
October 1, 1993.

                                 <all>