[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3034 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3034

  To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide guidance and 
    enhanced technical assistance for States seeking to establish a 
 restaurant meals program under the supplemental nutrition assistance 
                    program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 4, 2023

 Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Murphy) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide guidance and 
    enhanced technical assistance for States seeking to establish a 
 restaurant meals program under the supplemental nutrition assistance 
                    program, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Meals for At-Risk Americans Act of 
2023''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR STATE RESTAURANT MEALS PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2020) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(y) Assistance for State Restaurant Meals Programs.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Digital application.--The term `digital 
                application' means a web-based platform that allows for 
                the digital submission of applications.
                    ``(B) Enhanced technical assistance.--The term 
                `enhanced technical assistance' means enhanced detailed 
                educational guidance for States to learn how to set up 
                a restaurant meals program.
                    ``(C) Restaurant meals program.--The term 
                `restaurant meals program' means a State option 
                restaurant program carried out under subsection 
                (e)(25). 
            ``(2) Rulemaking.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary 
                shall promulgate a rule, which may be an interim final 
                rule, that establishes--
                            ``(i) guidance for States seeking to 
                        establish a restaurant meals program; and
                            ``(ii) a digital application that a State 
                        may use to submit a State plan under subsection 
                        (e)(25) for establishing a restaurant meals 
                        program.
                    ``(B) Effectiveness of interim final rules.--An 
                interim final rule promulgated under subparagraph (A) 
                shall be immediately effective on publication in the 
                Federal Register without requiring the Secretary to 
                demonstrate good cause, notwithstanding subparagraph 
                (B) of section 553(b) of title 5, United States Code.
                    ``(C) Opportunity for comment and hearing.--An 
                interim final rule promulgated under subparagraph (A) 
                shall give interested persons the opportunity to 
                comment and to request a hearing.
                    ``(D) Final rule.--After the conclusion of any 
                comment period or hearing under subparagraph (C), the 
                Secretary shall issue a final rule in accordance with 
                section 553 of title 5, United States Code.
            ``(3) State application status.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall notify a 
                State agency seeking to establish a restaurant meals 
                program of the status of the application of the State 
                agency, including whether the application is in review, 
                approved, or denied.
                    ``(B) Reason for denial.--If an application 
                described in subparagraph (A) is denied, the Secretary 
                shall provide a statement explaining the reasons for 
                the denial.
            ``(4) Restaurant application status.--The Secretary shall 
        use a real-time data sharing process established by the 
        Secretary to provide to States frequent status updates on the 
        status of applications to the Secretary from restaurants in the 
        State to participate in the restaurant meals program of that 
        State, which shall include an explanation for any denial of a 
        restaurant application.
            ``(5) Enhanced technical assistance.--Not later than 120 
        days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
        Secretary shall provide enhanced technical assistance to States 
        seeking to establish a restaurant meals program, including 
        assistance to establish a digital application for use by the 
        State for the purpose of collecting applications from 
        restaurants in the State.''.
    (b) Program Requirements.--Section 11(e)(25)(A) of the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(e)(25)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); and
            (3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
                            ``(iii) whether the State agency will offer 
                        a digital application (as defined in subsection 
                        (y)(1)) as an option for restaurants in the 
                        State seeking to apply to participate in the 
                        program; and''.
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