[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 108 (Friday, June 24, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5892-H5895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       KEEP KIDS FED ACT OF 2022

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 
1204, I call up the bill (S. 2089) to amend the Families First 
Coronavirus Response Act to extend child nutrition waiver authority, 
and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment to the House 
amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate 
amendment to the House amendment.
  Senate amendment to House amendment:

        In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted, insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Temporary lunch reimbursement.--Each lunch served under 
     the school lunch program authorized under the Richard B. 
     Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) 
     shall receive additional reimbursement in the amount of 40 
     cents.
       (2) Temporary breakfast reimbursement.--Each breakfast 
     served under the school breakfast program established by 
     section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) 
     shall receive additional reimbursement in the amount of 15 
     cents.
       (3) Limitation.--The additional reimbursement amounts 
     authorized under this subsection shall only be available for 
     the school year beginning July 2022.
       (4) Appropriations.--
       (A) In general.--There is appropriated, out of any funds in 
     the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this subsection.
       (B) Disbursement.--A State agency shall disburse funds made 
     available under subparagraph (A) to school food authorities 
     participating in the school meal programs described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2).
       (b) Extension of Waivers.--Section 2202 of the Families 
     First Coronavirus Response Act (42 U.S.C. 1760 note; Public 
     Law 116-127) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
     ``due to the COVID-19 pandemic'' after ``(42 U.S.C. 
     1760(l))'';
       (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon and inserting ``or''; and
       (C) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(B) ensuring continuity of program operation under a 
     qualified program.'';
       (2) in subsection (d)--
       (A) by striking paragraph (2); and
       (B) by striking ``the following:'' in the matter preceding 
     paragraph (1) and all that follows through ``A summary'' in 
     paragraph (1) and inserting ``a summary''; and
       (3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
       ``(e) Sunset.--
       ``(1) Nationwide waivers.--The authority of the Secretary 
     to establish or grant a waiver under subsection (a) shall 
     expire on September 30, 2022.
       ``(2) Waiver restriction.--After June 30, 2022, a waiver 
     established or granted under subsection (a) shall only apply 
     to schools or summer food service program food service 
     sites--
       ``(A) operating--
       ``(i) the qualified program described in subsection 
     (f)(1)(D); or
       ``(ii) the option described in section 13(a)(8) of the 
     Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1761(a)(8)); and
       ``(B) not operating the qualified program described in 
     subsection (f)(1)(A).
       ``(3) Other waivers.--
       ``(A) Child and adult care food program waiver.--The 
     authority of the Secretary to establish or grant a waiver 
     under subsection (b) shall expire on June 30, 2022.
       ``(B) Meal pattern waiver.--The authority of the Secretary 
     to establish or grant a waiver under subsection (c) shall 
     expire on June 30, 2023.
       ``(4) Limitations.--A waiver authorized by the Secretary 
     under this section shall not be in effect after the date on 
     which the authority of the Secretary to establish or grant 
     that waiver under this subsection expires.''.
       (c) Appropriation.--There are appropriated, out of any 
     funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums 
     as are necessary to provide waivers under section 2202(a) of 
     the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (42 U.S.C. 1760 
     note; Public Law 116-127) that apply--
       (1) only during the months of May through September in 
     2022; and
       (2) to--
       (A) the summer food service program for children under 
     section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 1761); or
       (B) the option described in section 13(a)(8) of that Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)(8)).
       (d) Nationwide Waiver for School Year 2022-2023.--
       (1) In general.--For purposes of school year 2022-2023, the 
     Secretary of Agriculture may establish waivers under section 
     12(l) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1760(l))--
       (A) on a nationwide basis; and
       (B) without regard to the requirements under paragraphs 
     (1), (2), and (3) of such section that a State or eligible 
     service provider shall submit an application for a waiver 
     request.
       (2) Sunset.--A nationwide waiver established by the 
     Secretary of Agriculture under section 12(l) of the Richard 
     B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(l)) 
     pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not be in effect after June 
     30, 2023.

     SEC. 3. CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Temporary additional reimbursement for 2022-2023 school 
     year.--Each meal and supplement served under the program 
     authorized by section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National 
     School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766) shall receive additional 
     reimbursement in the amount of 10 cents.
       (2) Limitation.--The additional reimbursement amount 
     authorized under paragraph (1) shall only be available for 
     the school year beginning July 2022.
       (b) Tier Determinations for 2022-2023 School Year.--For the 
     school year beginning July 2022, a tier II family or group 
     day care home described in subsection (f)(3)(A)(iii) of 
     section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 1766) shall be considered a tier I family or 
     group day care home

[[Page H5893]]

     for purposes of the program authorized under that section.
       (c) Appropriations.--There are appropriated, out of any 
     funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums 
     as are necessary to carry out this section.

     SEC. 4. RESCISSIONS AND SUNSET.

       (a) Rescissions.--
       (1) USDA.--
       (A) Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available 
     to the Department of Agriculture in section 1001(a) of the 
     American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (7 U.S.C. 7501 note; Public 
     Law 117-2), $1,000,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded.
       (B) Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available 
     to the Department of Agriculture in section 751 of division N 
     of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
     260; 134 Stat. 2105), $400,000,000 are hereby permanently 
     rescinded.
       (2) Department of education.--Of the unobligated balances 
     from amounts made available to the Department of Education in 
     section 2003 of title II of the American Rescue Plan Act of 
     2021 (Public Law 117-2; 135 Stat. 23) and allocated to 
     institutions of higher education as defined in section 102(b) 
     of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(b)), 
     $400,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded.
       (3) SBA.--Of the unobligated balances from amounts made 
     available to the Small Business Administration in section 
     5005 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-
     2; 135 Stat. 91) and in section 323(d)(1)(H) of division N of 
     the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
     260; 134 Stat. 2021) to carry out section 324 of such 
     division of such Act (15 U.S.C. 9009a), $1,200,000,000 are 
     hereby permanently rescinded.
       (b) Additional Rescission.--Of the unobligated balances 
     from amounts made available to the Department of Agriculture 
     under the heading ``Agricultural Programs--Office of the 
     Secretary'' in title I of division B of the Coronavirus Aid, 
     Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 
     Stat. 505), $600,000,000 are hereby permanently rescinded.
       (c) Sunset.--Section 756 of division N of the Consolidated 
     Appropriations Act, 2021 (7 U.S.C. 2254c), is amended by 
     striking ``for fiscal year'' and all that follows through 
     ``thereafter'' and inserting ``for each of fiscal years 2021 
     and 2022''.

     SEC. 5. OPERATIONALLY READY.

       The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that technical 
     assistance is made available to States and school food 
     authorities for purposes of assisting parents and school 
     leaders with respect to the transition of operating school 
     meal programs not pursuant to a waiver under section 2(d) or 
     section 2202 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 1760 note; Public Law 116-127).


                            Motion to Concur

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Brown of Maryland). The Clerk will 
designate the motion.
  The text of the motion is as follows:

       Mr. Scott of Virginia moves that the House concur in the 
     Senate amendment to the House amendment to S. 2089.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1204, the 
motion shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled 
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education 
and Labor or their designees.
  The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) each will control 5 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and insert extraneous material on the legislation currently 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here, again, to pass legislation to ensure that 
our Nation's children have access to healthy meals. The Senate amended 
the bill that we passed yesterday, and so today we are going accept 
that amendment so the bill can be forwarded on to the President for 
signature.
  S. 2089 would:
  Maintain school meal flexibilities that do not increase costs;
  Continue flexibilities to support summer food programs this year;
  Provide additional support for child and adult care feeding programs; 
and
  Increase school meal reimbursement rates for this upcoming school 
year.
  We know this bill alone will not end hunger in America, nor does it 
uphold the stronger provisions in the bill that the House passed 
yesterday, but it is an important step to take for our Nation's 
children and to fulfill our basic responsibility to keep them from 
going hungry.
  I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina, the ranking member of 
the committee, Dr. Foxx, for cooperating and making sure this 
legislation could come to the floor, along with the Senator Stabenow 
from Michigan and Senator Boozman from Arkansas.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Virginia yielding time. 
This is essentially the same bill we passed overwhelmingly yesterday, 
except it was improved by our colleagues in the Senate. This bill is a 
more targeted approach that includes temporary support for students and 
schools. It puts an end to the permanent pandemic narrative that led to 
unnecessary Federal programs with little return to taxpayers. For more 
than 2 years, broad nutrition waivers provided free meals to everyone, 
including wealthy families. This legislation returns these programs to 
regular order.
  Most importantly, this bill is fully paid for. It is an example of 
respecting taxpayer funds, something the Federal Government is in short 
supply of.
  Simply put, this bill puts our school nutrition programs back on 
track, so taxpayers, schools, and students are better served.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  The reality is that Congress has reached its deadline. We must pass 
this critical legislation to ensure that children have healthy meals 
this summer and that schools and daycares have the funding and 
flexibilities they need to respond to the supply chain challenges and 
high food costs in the future.
  If we do not act, we will jeopardize children's access to nutritious 
meals.
  I wish, again, to thank the ranking member, Dr. Foxx, for her 
cooperation in bringing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to the 
floor, along with Senators Stabenow and Boozman.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2089, support the 
motion, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record for S. 
2089, as amended, the following letters from the Academy of Nutrition 
and Dietetics, Feeding America, Save the Children, the School Nutrition 
Association, the Council of the Great City Schools, and the Center for 
Law and Social Policy in support of the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022.

                            [June 21, 2022]

   Protect Nutrition Security for Children: Academy of Nutrition and 
                 Dietetics Welcomes New Bipartisan Bill

       Chicago--The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics strongly 
     supports the new Keep Kids Fed Act, introduced June 21 in 
     Congress, as a crucial step in addressing nutrition security 
     among school-aged children in the United States. The bill was 
     introduced by U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and John 
     Boozman (Ark.) and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (Va.) and Virginia 
     Foxx (N.C.).
       ``Studies have shown that the school cafeteria is the 
     healthiest place for children to eat in the U.S.,'' said 
     registered dietitian nutritionist and the Academy's 2022-2023 
     President Ellen R. Shanley. ``The Keep Kids Fed Act therefore 
     is more important than ever in providing parents and 
     guardians with the assurance that their children are 
     receiving healthful meals to fuel them throughout this summer 
     as well as the next school year.''
       The Academy commends the Keep Kids Fed Act, which grants 
     the U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to provide 
     temporary waivers that will provide full flexibilities to 
     summer meal programs, eliminate the reduced-price meal 
     category and increase reimbursement rates in response to 
     rising food costs.
       ``The Academy and our members have tirelessly advocated for 
     the continuation of child nutrition waivers as the country 
     continues to grapple with ongoing supply chain and labor 
     shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as 
     inflation,'' Shanley said.
       Because the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on 
     people from underrepresented communities and those with diet-
     related disease, access to healthful school meals promotes 
     nutrition security as well as health equity.
       While the Academy considers nutrition waivers to be a step 
     in the right direction, the legislation comes late in the 
     process as schools are organizing and operating summer meal 
     programs and planning meal programs for the next school year.
       ``A better solution is to make school meals free for all 
     children, all year,'' Shanley said.

[[Page H5894]]

     ``The Academy has long advocated for Healthy School Meals for 
     All and will continue to educate members of Congress on its 
     benefits. We look forward to working with Congress on a 
     permanent solution to issues of nutrition security for all, 
     particularly for children.''
                                  ____


                            [June 21, 2022]

  Feeding America Applauds Bi-Partisan Step To Extend Child Nutrition 
                                Waivers


 statement attributed to vince hall, chief government relations officer

       ``Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief 
     network of 200 food banks, 21 statewide associations and 
     60,000 faith-based and non-profit partner food pantries and 
     meal programs, applauds Congress for taking the needed steps 
     to extend child nutrition waiver authority, which will help 
     ensure children are able to access much-needed nutrition in 
     the months ahead. Network food banks and partners have been 
     asking for this continued flexibility for many months. The 
     bi-partisan legislation, the Keep Kids Fed Act, was released 
     today by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-
     AR) and Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA 03) and Virginia 
     Foxx (R-NC 05) ahead of the June 30th deadline. The bill 
     would provide temporary authority to USDA to provide summer 
     meal program flexibilities, eliminate the reduced-price meal 
     category, and increase reimbursement rates to help offset 
     rising food costs. It will offer much needed stability, 
     predictability, and an assurance that children will be better 
     able to get the meals they need through the coming year. 
     Together, these provisions will provide significant help for 
     children who often do not know where they will get their next 
     meal, particularly in communities of color who experience 
     hunger at a disproportionate rate.
       ``Originally granted as part of the pandemic response to 
     ensure access to meals for children in need during the school 
     year and in the summertime, waivers allowing flexibilities 
     for child nutrition program operators remain essential to 
     addressing child food insecurity, particularly amid continued 
     supply chain disruptions and ongoing barriers to reaching 
     kids in rural areas. As it stands, schools and communities 
     need continued flexibilities to safely plan for and offer 
     summer meal programs and nutrition assistance during the next 
     school year.
       ``For millions of school children, school meals are often 
     their only reliable nutrition source. Feeding America stands 
     ready to work with Congress to ensure this important bill 
     passes both chambers and is signed by President Biden, and we 
     look forward to working with them on future legislation to 
     ensure child nutrition programs remain strong and responsive 
     to local needs in the months and years ahead.''
                                  ____


                            [June 22, 2022]

Bipartisan `Keep Kids Fed Act' Would Prevent Millions of Children From 
                              Going Hungry


 Save the Children--together with our political advocacy arm, Save the 
Children Action Network--urges Congress to swiftly pass this bipartisan 
                              legislation

       Washington, DC--After yesterday's release of the bipartisan 
     Keep Kids Fed Act (H.R. 8150), Cassidy Pont, Lead Policy 
     Advocate for Domestic Child Nutrition at Save the Children, 
     issued the following statement:
       ``We wholeheartedly welcome the release of the bipartisan 
     and budget-neutral Keep Kids Fed Act, which will temporarily 
     extend some child nutrition waivers, preventing nearly 7 
     million children from losing access to nutritious meals this 
     summer alone. In the midst of increasing supply chain 
     challenges and rising food and gas prices, this support will 
     be a life-line for school nutrition programs and child care 
     providers, enabling them to stay financially afloat while 
     continuing to serve children the nutritious foods they need 
     to grow, develop, learn and thrive. While we are disappointed 
     the legislation doesn't extend the USDA Secretary's full 
     waiver authority through the next school year, the Keep Kids 
     Fed Act is an important step in the right direction. We urge 
     Congress to act quickly to pass this legislation. If not, 
     millions of children could go hungry, and we cannot let that 
     happen.''
                                  ____


                            [June 22, 2022]

              SNA Urges Passage of School Meals Agreement

       Arlington, VA--The School Nutrition Association (SNA) 
     praised a new agreement to provide critical support to school 
     meal programs prior to the expiration of federal pandemic 
     waivers. Set to expire June 30, the waivers have ensured 
     students can access healthy school meals despite persistent 
     supply chain, food cost and labor burdens. SNA urges Congress 
     to swiftly pass The Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022.
       The $3 billion package will provide the following 
     assistance through School Year 2022/23:
       Allow students eligible for reduced-price meals to receive 
     free meals
       Increase federal reimbursements for every school lunch by 
     40 cents and every school breakfast by 15 cents, above the 
     annual inflationary adjustment scheduled for July 1
       Extend no-cost waivers, including those for schools unable 
     to meet nutrition standards due to supply chain disruptions 
     and to reduce administrative and reporting burdens
       Extend waivers for 2022 summer meal programs
       ``School nutrition professionals have withstood crippling 
     supply chain breakdowns, rising prices and labor shortages in 
     their efforts to provide students healthy meals, at a time 
     when families are struggling with higher costs. With crucial 
     federal waivers on the verge of expiring, this agreement 
     offers school meal programs a lifeline to help build back 
     toward normal operations,'' said SNA President Beth Wallace, 
     MBA, SNS.
       ``SNA members are extremely grateful to Senate Agriculture 
     Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member John 
     Boozman, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby 
     Scott and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx for their consistent 
     efforts to support school meal programs and to Congressional 
     leaders for bringing this critical agreement to the floor,'' 
     said Wallace.
       SNA members have reported an ongoing struggle to obtain 
     sufficient food and supplies for their programs, as 
     manufacturers discontinue products ranging from low-sodium 
     chicken breasts to low-fat milk cartons and yogurt cups. 
     Members have reported shortages of as many as 150-200 menu 
     items per order, which send short-staffed school nutrition 
     teams scrambling to secure healthy menu substitutions for 
     their students. School nutrition directors across the country 
     report unprecedented price increases, including a 280% 
     increase in the cost of a case of gloves and 137% increase on 
     whole grain bread.
       ``SNA appreciates ongoing efforts of U.S. Secretary of 
     Agriculture Tom Vilsack to address persistent supply chain 
     challenges and USDA's commitment to avert penalties for 
     schools unable to comply with meal pattern requirements due 
     to these disruptions,'' said Wallace. ``We will continue to 
     work with USDA next school year as we seek solutions to 
     support school nutrition professionals and ensure the 
     financial sustainability of meal programs for the students 
     they serve.''
       SNA's 2022 Position Paper, released in January, urged 
     Congress to extend pandemic-related child nutrition waivers 
     and to permanently increase school meal reimbursement rates, 
     offer free school meals to all students and ease regulatory 
     requirements.
                                  ____


                           Council of the Great City Schools,

                                    Washington, DC, June 22, 2022.
     Hon. Bobby Scott,
     Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Virginia Foxx,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Education and Labor, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Foxx: The Council of 
     the Great City Schools, the coalition of the nation's largest 
     central-city school districts, writes to offer our support 
     for the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022. Since the start of the 
     COVID-19 pandemic, urban districts have worked tirelessly to 
     ensure that all of our students have safe access to healthy 
     meal options, both during school closures and while on 
     campus. Since March 2020, the COVID-19 waivers approved by 
     Congress provided our Food Service departments with the 
     additional funding and flexibility needed to get meals to 
     students wherever they are and to deal with rising costs, 
     personnel shortages, and supply chain issues.
       Even though schools have been open this spring and are 
     expecting to offer in-person instruction this fall, our child 
     nutrition programs are still in crisis and have not returned 
     to pre-pandemic normal. Supply chain and staffing issues 
     persist and the need to relieve school districts from meal 
     pattern, non-congregate feeding, and mealtime requirements 
     remains essential. The Keep Kids Fed Act will provide school 
     districts with the flexibility needed for continuity of 
     operations next school year and offers additional funding to 
     help serve more students and alleviate rising costs for meal 
     items, food service supplies, and personnel.
       With summer programs already operating and fall planning 
     well-underway, school districts are facing enormous 
     challenges in serving nutritious meals to students every day. 
     The Council appreciates the bipartisan solutions offered in 
     the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 to help mitigate some of these 
     issues and urges a YES vote.
           Sincerely,
                                                         Ray Hart,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____


                                                The Center for Law


                                            and Social Policy,

                                    Washington, DC, June 23, 2022.
       Dear Members of Congress: The Center for Law and Social 
     Policy (CLASP) expresses our support for H.R. 8150, the Keep 
     Kids Fed Act of 2022, which would extend key flexibilities 
     for school meal provisions enacted under the Families First 
     Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). As a national, nonpartisan 
     anti-poverty organization that places racial equity at the 
     center of our work, we understand how failing to extend this 
     successful policy would harm food security in marginalized 
     and low-income communities. The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, 
     and schools are struggling to manage rising food costs and 
     clogged supply chains. Congress' failure to extend the 
     waivers and flexibilities the FFCRA provides would mean 
     schools not having the tools they need to continue providing 
     consistent and reliable meals to students. If Congress fails 
     to extend these flexibilities beyond the current expiration 
     date of

[[Page H5895]]

     June 30, 2022, millions of children face the possibility of 
     losing access to healthy meals.
       CLASP is pleased to see the inclusion of the waiver 
     ensuring all family child care homes qualify for the highest 
     reimbursement rate under the Child and Adult Food Care 
     (CACFP) program. This waiver eliminates the usual area 
     eligibility requirement that limits this rate to providers in 
     areas meeting a 50 percent low-income threshold. This 
     threshold excludes many providers serving children in 
     families with low incomes, especially in rural and suburban 
     areas, where poverty is often less concentrated than in urban 
     areas. In addition, the area eligibility test completely 
     neglects providers and families struggling in areas with a 
     high cost-of-living. CLASP recommends permanently eliminating 
     the area eligibility test permanent. This change would bring 
     more child care providers who serve low-income children into 
     CACFP, ensuring many more children in need would receive 
     healthy CACFP meals and snacks.
       The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated child hunger in the U.S., 
     but did not create it. Prior to the pandemic, almost 1 in 
     every 7 households struggled with food security, a rate that 
     spiked to 1 in 3 with the onset of the pandemic. The policies 
     enacted through the FFCRA, namely the nationwide waiver 
     authority and expanded reimbursement rates, has enabled 
     schools to meet the immense challenge of heightened demand 
     and costs. As long as pandemic-related economic pressures 
     remain, these flexibilities should as well. Many children in 
     this country rely on meals through schools and child care 
     programs as a source of reliable and nutritious food. These 
     meals can support their development and represent a wise 
     investment from policymakers. CLASP encourages Congress in 
     the future to support universal school meals so that all 
     students can receive the nutrition they need without stigma 
     or burdensome paperwork.
       CLASP thanks Sens. Stabenow and Boozman and Reps. Scott and 
     Foxx for their bipartisan work on this important piece of 
     legislation. CLASP urges swift passage and looks forward to 
     working with your office on legislative matters reducing 
     poverty in this country. For more information, or to help 
     answer any questions, please contact Tralonne Shorter, 
     Director of Legislative Affairs.
           Sincerely,
                                              Indivar Dutta-Gupta,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Bipartisan 
Safer Communities Act, long overdue legislation to address gun violence 
in our schools and neighborhoods. Although this legislation is far from 
perfect, it is an important step forward in solving the epidemic of gun 
violence that has gripped our nation for decades.
  In the weeks following the tragedy in Uvalde at Robb Elementary and 
the racist attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, I spoke with many 
constituents who continue to urge action. Teachers, parents, and 
concerned community members from Northwest Oregon shared pleas for 
Congress to follow through on our responsibility to our children and 
our nation by immediately passing bold policies to implement gun safety 
reform. An educator I know told me that after Uvalde, she sat down with 
her students and told them she would take a bullet for them. 
Conversations like this are happening in classrooms across the country, 
but they shouldn't have to. Congress must provide all students with 
safe learning environments free from the threat of gun violence. The 
House already passed a comprehensive slate of gun violence prevention 
legislation, and I look forward to building on that by voting for this 
legislation that came out of the bipartisan Senate negotiations.
  The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will help to protect Americans 
and make gun sales safer. The most effective way to protect communities 
from gun violence is to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who 
are a danger to themselves and others. This legislation will 
incentivize states to establish extreme risk protection order laws, 
enhance background checks for people under the age of 21, end straw 
purchasing, and penalize gun traffickers. It will also safeguard 
survivors of domestic violence by closing the so called ``boyfriend 
loophole,'' prohibiting people convicted of domestic violence crimes 
from possessing firearms.
  Additionally, this bill makes a robust investment in under Title IV-A 
of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Fully funding this important grant 
program will help to close the opportunity and resource gaps in our 
nation's public schools, and I'm pleased this bill recognizes the 
importance of this program in providing students of all backgrounds 
with a well-rounded, safe, and healthy education.
  Although these actions to address gun violence in our communities and 
fund critical school improvement programs are important, I am concerned 
about how various provisions in the bill could harm Black and brown 
students and students with disabilities in our nation's schools. The 
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increases funding for school resource 
officers (SROs) and codifies further involvement of the Department of 
Homeland Security in education through threat assessments. Research and 
practice show that both SROs and threat assessments are ineffective in 
keeping students safe in schools. As Chair of the Civil Rights and 
Human Services Subcommittee, I remain committed to protecting students' 
civil rights and delivering on the promise of an equitable, world-class 
public education for each and every student in this country. I will 
closely monitor the implementation of this legislation to make sure our 
most marginalized and vulnerable students are not subject to further 
disproportionate discipline and discriminatory targeting in schools.
  As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, I again want to 
recognize how crucial the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is to our 
schools, communities, and country. This bill will be the first 
substantive action on gun violence prevention since the passage of the 
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1994. In the last 30 years, 
our nation has been devastated over and over again by horrific 
tragedies like we saw in recent weeks at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, 
Texas. We cannot bring back those who have been murdered, but we can 
enact meaningful laws that will prevent more senseless deaths.
  I urge swift passage of the legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 1204, the previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the motion by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Scott).
  The motion to concur was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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