[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.
____________________