[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3519 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3519
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish
a permanent, nationwide electronic benefits transfer program for
children during school closures, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 25, 2021
Mr. Levin of California (for himself and Mrs. Hayes) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish
a permanent, nationwide electronic benefits transfer program for
children during school closures, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Child Hunger Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM.
Section 13(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
(42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(13) School closure electronic benefits transfer for
children program.--
``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Covered period.--The term `covered
period' means a period in which an elementary
school or secondary school is closed, operating
remotely, or operating in a hybrid-manner for 5
or more consecutive weekdays during the
calendar year.
``(ii) Eligible household.--The term
`eligible household' means a household that
includes 1 or more children who are eligible to
receive free or reduced-price lunches under
this Act or free or reduced-price breakfasts
under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), including children
eligible for such meals pursuant to section
11(a)(1)(F).
``(iii) Free rate.--The term `free rate'
has the meaning given the term in section
1101(j)(4) of the Families First Coronavirus
Response Act (7 U.S.C. 2011 note).
``(iv) School closure ebt card.--The term
`school closure EBT card' means an electronic
benefit transfer (EBT) card that is issued to
an eligible household under this paragraph and
limited to food purchases.
``(B) Program.--The Secretary shall establish a
program under which the Secretary shall provide to
eligible households school closure EBT cards for the
purpose of providing access to food for children during
covered periods--
``(i) to reduce or eliminate the food
insecurity and hunger of children; and
``(ii) to improve the nutritional status of
children.
``(C) Use.--An eligible household may use a school
closure EBT card only to purchase food from retail food
stores that have been approved for participation in the
supplemental nutrition assistance program established
under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011
et seq.), in accordance with section 7(b) of that Act
(7 U.S.C. 2016(b)).
``(D) Amount.--The amount of a school closure EBT
card issued pursuant to this paragraph shall be, with
respect to a covered period, not less than the value of
meals at the free rate for each day of such covered
period.
``(E) Funding.--
``(i) In general.--On October 1, 2021, and
on each October 1 thereafter, out of any funds
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the
Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the
Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry
out this paragraph (including administrative
expenses), to remain available until expended.
``(ii) Receipt and acceptance.--The
Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall
accept, and shall use to carry out this section
the funds transferred under clause (i), without
further appropriation.
``(F) Regulations.--
``(i) In general.--Not later than October
1, 2021, the Secretary shall issue regulations
to carry out this paragraph.
``(ii) Requirements.--Regulations issued
under this subparagraph shall require that--
``(I) children shall be eligible to
participate and shall be enrolled into
the program under this paragraph for a
covered period without further
application if the children are
enrolled to participate in the free or
reduced-price lunch program under this
Act or the free or reduced-price
breakfast program under the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771
et seq.);
``(II) local educational agencies
shall support the administration of the
program under this paragraph by--
``(aa) communicating to the
State agency when any school is
closed, operating remotely, or
operating in a hybrid-manner
for more than 5 days; and
``(bb) providing data on
the children eligible to
participate in the program
under this paragraph;
``(III) State agencies shall
provide information on children
eligible to participate in the program
under this paragraph with the State
agency conducting eligibility
determinations for the supplemental
nutrition assistance program
established under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et
seq.); and
``(IV) State agencies conducting
eligibility determinations described in
subclause (III) shall--
``(aa) distribute the
school closure EBT cards;
``(bb) provide information
to households regarding the
program under this paragraph,
including eligibility rules and
how children in eligible
households that are not
automatically enrolled under
subclause (I) may apply for
program benefits; and
``(cc) administer the
program under this paragraph in
accordance with regulations
promulgated by the Secretary.
``(G) Implementation grants.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall
carry out a program to make grants to States to
support the development of data systems or
upgrades to existing data systems that are
necessary to implement this paragraph.
``(ii) Funding.--In addition to amounts
made available under subparagraph (E), on
October 1, 2021, out of any funds in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the
Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the
Secretary to carry out this subparagraph
$50,000,000, to remain available until
expended.''.
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