[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4876 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4876

  To create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to State 
  libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their 
        libraries open for student use during the summer months.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2024

 Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Booker) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to State 
  libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their 
        libraries open for student use during the summer months.

    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 ``Summer Meals and Learning Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible 
        local educational agency'' means a local educational agency, as 
        defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)--
                    (A) that serves lunch at a school served by the 
                local educational agency during the summer as part of--
                            (i) 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); or
                            (ii) the seamless summer option authorized 
                        by section 13(a)(8) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        1761(a)(8)); and
                    (B) where at least 50 percent of the students in 
                grades prekindergarten through grade 3 at such school--
                            (i) are reading below grade level at grade 
                        3; or
                            (ii) are at risk of reading below grade 
                        level at grade 3.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 
        of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the United States 
        Virgin Islands.
            (4) State library administrative agency.--The term ``State 
        library administrative agency'' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 213 of the Museum and Library Services Act (20 
        U.S.C. 9122).
            (5) Summer early reading program.--The term ``summer early 
        reading program'' means a program held in the summer, and not 
        less than 6 weeks in duration, that--
                    (A) is held at a school with a summer lunch site 
                described in paragraph (1)(A); and
                    (B) provides students participating in the lunch 
                program--
                            (i) access to the school library; and
                            (ii) literacy activities or expanded 
                        learning opportunities at the school.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR SUMMER EARLY READING PROGRAMS AT SUMMER MEAL SITES.

    (a) Program Authorized.--From amounts made available under 
subsection (f) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, on 
a competitive basis, to State library administrative agencies to enable 
the State library administrative agencies to award subgrants to 
eligible local educational agencies for summer early reading programs.
    (b) Applications.--A State library administrative agency desiring a 
grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. Each application shall include--
            (1) how the State library administrative agency will award 
        subgrants described in subsection (d), including any priorities 
        or considerations that the State library administrative agency 
        will apply in making such awards, with an emphasis toward 
        supporting eligible local educational agencies with a 
        disproportionately high ratio of students served at school 
        lunch sites described in section 2(1)(A) to such school lunch 
        sites;
            (2) how the State library administrative agency will 
        disseminate, in a timely manner, information regarding the 
        subgrants described in subsection (d) and the application 
        process for such subgrants to eligible local educational 
        agencies;
            (3) the criteria that the State library administrative 
        agency will require for the summer early reading programs, 
        including the minimum number of hours that the school library 
        shall remain accessible and any other criteria regarding the 
        activities to be offered; and
            (4) an assurance from the State library administrative 
        agency that each eligible local educational agency that 
        receives a subgrant will provide a summer early reading program 
        at each school lunch site served by the local educational 
        agency.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A State library administrative agency receiving 
a grant under this section shall use grant funds to award subgrants to 
eligible local educational agencies under subsection (d).
    (d) Subgrants.--
            (1) In general.--Each State library administrative agency 
        receiving a grant under this section shall award subgrants, on 
        a competitive basis, to eligible local educational agencies to 
        enable the eligible local educational agencies to provide 
        summer early reading programs.
            (2) Applications.--An eligible local educational agency 
        desiring a subgrant under this section shall submit an 
        application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the State library administrative agency may 
        require. Each application shall include--
                    (A) a description of the school lunch sites 
                described in section 2(1)(A) that will be participating 
                in the summer early reading program, and the ratio, as 
                of the date of application, of the number of students 
                served to the number of such school lunch sites;
                    (B) proof that the eligible local educational 
                agency meets the requirements of section 2(1);
                    (C) a description of the summer early reading 
                program that the eligible local educational agency will 
                provide at each school lunch site to be served; and
                    (D) a description of how community partners will be 
                involved in the summer early reading program.
            (3) Award basis.--A State library administrative agency 
        receiving a grant under this section shall award subgrants 
        based on--
                    (A) the proposed number of school lunch sites and 
                the number of students that will be served under the 
                summer early reading program; and
                    (B) any other criteria established by the State 
                library administrative agency in the application 
                submitted under subsection (b).
            (4) Use of funds.--An eligible local educational agency 
        receiving a subgrant under this subsection shall use the 
        subgrant funds to work with community partners to--
                    (A) develop and implement the summer early reading 
                programs proposed in the application submitted under 
                paragraph (2);
                    (B) develop and carry out other activities and 
                strategies related to such summer early reading 
                programs; and
                    (C) hire and train appropriate State library 
                administrative agency personnel to teach the summer 
                early reading programs during the summer.
    (e) Reports.--For each year of a grant or subgrant awarded under 
this section, a State library administrative agency receiving such 
grant, or an eligible local educational agency receiving such subgrant, 
shall submit a report regarding the progress made in achieving the 
purposes of the grant or subgrant, respectively, to the Secretary.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.
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