[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 495 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 495

       Designating July 2014 as ``Summer Meals Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 7, 2014

    Mr. Brown (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Casey) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Designating July 2014 as ``Summer Meals Awareness Month''.

Whereas 1 in 5 children in the United States struggle with hunger;
Whereas research has found that more than 30 percent of low-income families do 
        not have enough food during the summer months;
Whereas the summer food service program for children established under section 
        13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761) 
        exists to ensure that low-income children have access to adequate 
        nutrition when the school year ends;
Whereas the summer food service program is designed to give hungry children a 
        safe place to participate in fun, educational activities and to receive 
        a meal;
Whereas thousands of schools and nonprofit organizations across the country 
        serve as summer food service program sites;
Whereas summer programs are often under-utilized, as only 1 in 6 eligible 
        children participate in the summer food service program, due in part to 
        families being unaware that the summer food service program exists;
Whereas lack of transportation and other barriers often prevent children from 
        accessing the summer food service program sites, especially in rural 
        areas; and
Whereas almost 1 in 3 low-income children live in communities that are not 
        eligible to participate in the summer food service program, thus 
        reducing their ability to participate in the program: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates July 2014 as ``Summer Meals Awareness 
        Month'';
            (2) encourages members of Congress, schools, local 
        businesses, nonprofit institutions, churches, cities, and State 
        governments to assist in efficient use of summer food service 
        program sites by raising awareness of the location and 
        availability of those sites;
            (3) encourages members of Congress, schools, local 
        businesses, nonprofit institutions, churches, cities, and State 
        governments to support efforts to increase the participation 
        rate of eligible children who, without the summer food service 
        program for children established under section 13 of the 
        Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761), 
        may go without meals; and
            (4) encourages members of Congress to visit a summer food 
        service program site to see the importance of the program 
        firsthand.
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