[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8112-H8114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WEEKENDS WITHOUT HUNGER ACT
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5012) to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
to establish a weekend and holiday feeding program to provide
nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during
extended school holidays during the school year, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5012
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 ``Weekends Without Hunger
Act''.
SEC. 2. WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS WITHOUT HUNGER.
Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act (42 U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(j) Weekends and Holidays Without Hunger.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) At-risk school child.--The term `at-risk school
child' has the meaning given the term in section 17(r)(1).
``(B) Eligible institution.--
``(i) In general.--The term `eligible institution' means a
public or private nonprofit institution that is determined by
the Secretary to be able to meet safe food storage, handling,
and delivery standards established by the Secretary.
``(ii) Inclusions.--The term `eligible institution'
includes--
``(I) an elementary or secondary school or school food
service authority;
``(II) a food bank or food pantry;
``(III) a homeless shelter; and
``(IV) such other type of emergency feeding agency as is
approved by the Secretary.
``(2) Establishment.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations provided in advance in an appropriations Act
specifically for the purpose of carrying out this subsection,
the Secretary shall establish a program under which the
Secretary shall provide commodities, on a competitive basis,
to eligible institutions to provide nutritious food to at-
risk children on weekends and during extended school holidays
during the school year.
``(3) Eligibility.--
``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive commodities
under this subsection, an eligible institution shall submit
an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information as the Secretary may
determine.
``(B) Plan.--An application under subparagraph (A) shall
include the plan of the eligible institution for the
distribution of nutritious foods to at-risk school children,
including--
``(i) methods of food service delivery to at-risk school
children;
``(ii) assurances that children receiving foods under the
project will not be publicly separated or overtly identified;
``(iii) lists of the types of food to be provided under the
project and provisions to ensure food quality and safety;
``(iv) information on the number of at-risk school children
to be served and the per-child cost of providing the children
with food; and
``(v) such other information as the Secretary determines to
be necessary to assist the Secretary in evaluating projects
that receive commodities under this subsection.
``(4) Priority.--In selecting applications under this
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible
institutions that--
``(A) have on-going programs and experience serving
populations with significant proportions of at-risk school
children;
``(B) have a good record of experience in food delivery and
food safety systems;
``(C) maintain high quality control, accountability, and
recordkeeping standards;
``(D) provide children with readily consumable food of high
nutrient content and quality;
``(E) demonstrate cost efficiencies and the potential for
obtaining supplemental funding from non-Federal sources to
carry out projects; and
``(F) demonstrate the ability to continue projects for the
full approved term of the pilot project period.
``(5) Guidelines.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall issue guidelines
containing the criteria for projects to receive commodities
under this section.
``(B) Inclusions.--The guidelines shall, to the maximum
extent practicable within the funds available and
applications submitted, take into account--
``(i) geographical variations in project locations to
include qualifying projects in rural, urban, and suburban
areas with high proportions of families with at-risk school
children;
``(ii) different types of projects that offer nutritious
foods on weekends and during school holidays to at-risk
school children; and
``(iii) institutional capacity to collect, maintain, and
provide statistically valid information necessary for the
Secretary--
``(I) to analyze and evaluate the results of the pilot
project; and
``(II) to make recommendations to Congress.
``(6) Evaluation.--
``(A) Interim evaluation.--Not later than November 30,
2013, the Secretary shall complete an interim evaluation of
the pilot program carried out under this subsection.
``(B) Final report.--Not later than December 31, 2015, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report that
contains--
``(i) an evaluation of the pilot program carried out under
this subsection; and
``(ii) any recommendations of the Secretary for legislative
action.
``(7) Funding.--
``(A) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are
necessary, to remain available until expended.
``(B) Availability of funds.--Not more than 3 percent of
the funds made available under subparagraph (A) may be used
by the Secretary for expenses associated with review of the
operations and evaluation of the projects carried out under
this subsection.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from the
Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan) and the gentleman from Kentucky
(Mr. Guthrie) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands.
General Leave
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R.
5012 into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands?
There was no objection.
Mr. SABLAN. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5012, the Weekends
Without Hunger Act, legislation to help us prevent school-aged children
from having to go hungry during weekends and breaks when they are not
in school.
The Weekends Without Hunger Act helps prevent children from going
hungry when they are not in school. The bill responds to the growing
challenge of children coming to school hungry on Mondays and after
extended holidays. It establishes a 5-year pilot program to provide
commodities to schools and food banks in low-income areas, to provide
nutritious food to at-risk school children to take home on weekends and
during school holidays.
Nearly one in four of our Nation's children are at risk of going
hungry every day. No child should go hungry, yet millions of families
struggle to make ends meet and put healthy food on the table at home.
More than 19 million school-age children eat a free or reduced-price
meal at school every day and many of them depend on the school meals as
their main source of food throughout the week. During days that school
is in session, school breakfasts and lunches help keep children healthy
and prepared to learn in the classroom. Children who experience hunger
get sick more often and exhibit decreased attention and test scores.
Even with the child nutrition safety net already in place, there is
still a significant gap in children's access to nutrition during
weekends and breaks from school. For many children, this gap means
going without nutritious meals--or any meals at all over the weekend
and when school is out.
The organization Feeding America has been at the forefront of public-
private partnerships to ensure children and families have access to
healthy meals. Their BackPack Program is one in a number of innovative
programs they operate to meet the needs of families who experience
hunger.
This program provides backpacks filled with nutritious food that is
child friendly, nonperishable and easily consumed. These backpacks are
discreetly distributed to children on the last day before the weekend
or holiday vacation. Currently, more than 3,800 BackPack Programs serve
nearly 190,000 children in 46 States and the District of Columbia.
[[Page H8113]]
The BackPack Program has been very successful and in much demand.
Many programs have begun waiting lists because they are unable to
fulfill every request for service.
Earlier this year, the Committee on Education and Labor reported the
bipartisan bill improving nutrition for America's Children Act, H.R.
5504, to the House by a vote of 32-13. The Weekends Without Hunger
provision was included in this bill.
Last week, the House approved S. 3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids
Act, to reauthorize and improve the child nutrition programs to
increase children's access to these critical programs and to improve
nutrition quality. While we were unable to include H.R. 5012 in that
bill, the committee strongly believes this initiative deserves
consideration and supplements what was included in the Healthy, Hunger-
Free Kids Act.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Titus for her leadership
in bringing this bill to the floor and once again express my support
for H.R. 5012, the Weekends Without Hunger Act.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5012. To refresh my colleagues'
memories, just last week the House sent the reauthorization of child
nutrition and school meal programs to the President for his signature.
That bill spent an additional $4.5 billion and added more than a dozen
new programs. It was a significant expansion of Federal child nutrition
programs at a time when the American people have told us to stop
growing government and, instead, to make current programs better rather
than simply layering on new programs.
Every Member of this Chamber wants to fight childhood hunger and
promote healthy school meals, but adding one more program in a long
line of new programs is not the way to do that. We could have debated
this bill, along with several other proposals, during floor
consideration of child nutrition legislation last week, if only this
majority did not insist on stifling debate with closed rules.
Unfortunately, just like the responsible Republican alternative, this
program was not considered at the time it should have been during that
debate. Instead, we are here today debating whether to add yet another
program to the ever-expanding Federal Government under this majority.
This is another new program to add to the list of new programs created
just last week.
The Federal Government supports numerous programs to feed children in
school, after school and during the summer. If the majority did not see
fit to include this new program when it reauthorized child nutrition
programs last week, I do not see how we can justify its creation today
and urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Titus).
Ms. TITUS. I rise today in support of H.R. 5012, the Weekends Without
Hunger Act.
Last week the House passed a child nutrition bill that takes
important steps towards keeping our children healthy and hunger free
while in school. This is a goal I strongly support, and that's why I
introduced the legislation called Weekends Without Hunger Act, which
would help children not be hungry whether or not they are in school.
Across the country, almost one out of every four children is at risk
of going hungry. In southern Nevada, over 50 percent of children rely
on the free and reduced lunch program. That means that more than
156,000 students are facing hunger at home and many depend on school
meals as their main source of food and nutrition throughout the week.
While school meals help keep children healthy and ready to learn
during days when school is in session, there is currently no targeted
federal child nutrition program available to provide these children
with food during the weekend or extended holidays when they do not have
access to those school meals.
Especially at this time of year when most of us are having holiday
meals with our families and friends, it's important to remember so many
children are not enjoying their school vacation because they are going
hungry. A vacation from school should not mean hunger for our children.
Food banks around the country, including ThreeSquare food bank in Las
Vegas, has stepped up to meet the challenge of hunger on weekends
through programs such as Backpack for Kids. In Clark County, Backpack
for Kids operates in 178 schools, assembling and delivering
approximately 5,200 weekend backpacks each week filled with
nutritional, nonperishable foods to provide meals for children in need.
I believe that at the Federal level, we can and should be doing more
to support vital programs like Backpack for Kids. That's why I
introduced Weekends Without Hunger, which will help children and keep
them from going hungry when they are not in school over the weekends
and during holidays.
In this tough economic climate, food banks across the country are
seeing an increased need for their services. That's especially true in
areas hardest hit by unemployment.
While these organizations are doing great work, passing H.R. 5012
would build on their efforts and help them do even better. It would be
a great partnership.
{time} 1300
H.R. 5012 would establish a 5-year pilot program to provide
commodities to eligible institutions such as schools and food banks to
provide nutritious food to at-risk school children over the weekend and
during school holidays. For example, $10 million would be enough
funding for approximately 3 million weekend food backpacks. To ensure
that the Federal funds are well spent, the bill also requires an
interim and final evaluation of the program by the Secretary of
Agriculture.
I urge you all to support H.R. 5012, Weekends Without Hunger. As this
Congress moves to give tax breaks to millionaires, I implore you not to
forget the children. It is a disgrace that in a country this great and
this wealthy that any child should go home and go to bed hungry. So I
ask you to vote for this bill, or else go look a hungry child in the
eye and tell him or her, You're just not valuable enough to save.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Berkley).
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5012, the
Weekends Without Hunger Act. I want to personally and forcefully thank
Congresswoman Dina Titus for introducing this important piece of
legislation.
Congresswoman Titus and I share southern Nevada as our adjoining
congressional districts. Let me tell you what's happening there. We
have a serious economic problem. Almost 20 percent of the people I
represent have no work. That translates and transfers down to their
children, who are having very serious times, as are their parents.
For so many children in the Clark County School District, the only
meals they are getting, the only hot meals they are getting, the only
meals and nutrition of any kind, are the ones they are receiving in
school. So, many of the schools in Clark County are now not only
serving a lunch to their schoolchildren, they are also serving
breakfast as well. So many of our youngsters are showing up at school
with an empty stomach because they have nothing to eat at home. Try
learning when you're 5, 6, 7, 8 years old, when your tummy is grumbling
as you sit in your class. It's not possible to do.
I attended a school, Whitney Elementary School, and went into one of
the trailers that the principal escorted me to. It was filled with
food. And I commented, Why is there so much food in this trailer? And
she told me 70 percent--let me say that again--70 percent of the
children in this elementary school are homeless. They are living on the
streets with their parents. They are living in cars. They do not have a
stable home. If they don't have a stable home, I'll bet you dollars to
doughnuts that they haven't got anything to eat.
This program, this pilot program that Congresswoman Dina Titus has
introduced, would provide a 5-year pilot that would provide commodities
to eligible institutions, such as schools and food banks, to carry out
projects
[[Page H8114]]
that provide nutritious food to at-risk schoolchildren over the weekend
and school holidays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. SABLAN. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.
Ms. BERKLEY. It is incomprehensible to me that in a country of such
wealth and great abundance that we have literally hundreds of
thousands, if not millions, of children going to bed hungry and having
to depend on their schools in order to get anything to eat. This school
backpack program that provides children with food to take home over the
weekend is going to be the difference between their survival and not. I
cannot tell you how much I admire Dina Titus for introducing this. I
wish I'd thought of it myself.
Let us pass this bill, and let's pass it fast.
I rise today in support of H.R. 5012, the Weekends Without Hunger
Act. I want to thank Congresswoman Titus for introducing this important
piece of legislation.
Across the country, almost one out of every four children is at risk
of going hungry. Many of these children depend on school meals as their
main source of food throughout the week. While school meals help
provide low-income children with nourishing meals when school is in
session, there is currently no targeted federal child nutrition program
available to provide these children with food during the weekend or
extended holidays when they do not have access to school meals.
In my home State of Nevada, Three Square Food Bank has been
addressing weekend hunger since 2008 with its Backpacks for Kids
program. The program provides a bag of kid-friendly, shelf-stable foods
to children who lack adequate food over the weekend. Every week during
the 2009-10 school-year, Three Square provided weekend bags to more
than 4,800 at-risk children in 187 Clark County schools, both public
and private.
Congresswoman Titus' bill builds on the important work that food
banks and others are doing across the country. This legislation would
establish a five-year pilot program that would provide commodities to
eligible institutions, such as schools and food banks, to carry out
projects that provide nutritious food to at-risk school children over
the weekend and school holidays during the school year.
It is vital that Congress continue to make investments to increase
low-income children's access to nutrition programs, especially during
weekends and summers.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5012, the
``Weekends Without Hunger Act.'' This important legislation will amend
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to ensure that low
income children who rely on school meal programs during the week have
access to meals on weekends and long school holidays. By filling these
gap periods, this bill will ensure that children return to school
healthy and equipped with the necessary levels of nutrition to learn on
Monday mornings.
Last week, the House successfully passed a reauthorization of the
child nutrition programs which improves nutrition and access to school
meals. However, that legislation does not provide meals for our
children when they are out of school. Far too many children suffer from
food shortages and lack of nutritional meals at home during weekends
and school holidays. Food insecurity is steadily rising. Although food
banks and community providers successfully operate weekend meal
programs for low income children, their funding is insufficient to
sustain an increase in demand. I believe that our country will
eventually recover from these tough economic times. Until then, we are
obligated to provide for our children. Therefore, it is necessary that
we supply funding to local existing efforts that provide these
nutritional weekend or school break meals and expand these programs in
more communities. We must make every effort to ensure that that no
child goes hungry when they are out of school. I therefore urge my
colleagues to support the bill.
Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow members of Congress to vote
for H.R. 5012, the Weekends Without Hunger Act, and support the
millions of children facing food insecurity. The bill directs the
Secretary of Agriculture to implement a five-year pilot program to
provide food commodities to nonprofits, which would, in turn,
distribute those goods to children in need before weekends and extended
holidays. In short, this program ensures that children do not go hungry
when they are not in school.
This pilot program is modeled from the successful Food for Kids
program developed by the nonprofit Arkansas Rice Depot. The concept for
the program originated when a school nurse asked for help because she
began seeing hungry students with stomachaches and dizziness. The local
food bank began to send school children home with groceries in non-
descript backpacks. In 2009, more than 140 Feeding America member food
banks operated more than 3,600 BackPack for Kids Programs and served
more than 190,000 children.
In my hometown, the Cleveland Foodbank adopted the program, BackPack
for Kids, in 2005. Each week, food bank volunteers pack six wholesome,
child friendly meals per student into plastic bags, and then cases are
delivered to partner sites. The Foodbank protects kids' confidentiality
by packaging the food in unmarked, non-descript backpacks. This
approach is having a profound effect. In 2009, the Cleveland Foodbank
distributed 45,666 backpacks to many of the 3,036 homeless children who
live in Ohio's Eleventh Congressional District as well as other
children whose families are in tough financial times. The Cleveland
Foodbank is touching thousands of families and impacting the
educational success of thousands of children in Northeast Ohio through
the BackPack for Kids program. It is doing phenomenal work.
Imagine how many more children could be served through this commodity
program. I implore the House to pass the Weekends Without Hunger Act
because kids in need are guilty of nothing more than being born to low-
income parents for which they should not be punished. In Cuyahoga
County, 32 percent of children rely on food stamps to eat. Allowing any
of these kids in my district to go hungry is simply unacceptable. The
fact is they face a particularly high risk of hunger when they are not
being fed through existing school programs. This bill presents a unique
opportunity to help the neediest of children by giving them the
security of knowing where their next meal will come from, a sentiment
so basic that many of us take it for granted.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask for support on H.R. 5012, as amended,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Costa). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan)
that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5012, as
amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``To amend the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish a weekend and
holiday feeding program to provide nutritious food to at-risk school
children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the
school year.''
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________