What This Bill Does
This bill extends higher reimbursement rates for school meals under two existing federal programs. It also requires the Department of Agriculture to research and implement recommendations to reduce paperwork burden (administrative tasks) on schools and simplify how students apply for meal assistance.
Who It Affects
State education agencies, school food authorities (organizations that manage school meals), schools serving fewer than 100 students, residential child care institutions (facilities where children live while receiving care), and schools participating in federal meal assistance programs.
Key Provisions
• The Department of Agriculture must create a single, easy-to-use online location where schools and states can find all guidance and policy materials about meal programs. (Sec. 3(b)(1))
• The Department of Agriculture must develop and submit to Congress a plan to simplify how schools determine which students qualify for free or reduced meals, including research on using a single application form for all students. (Sec. 3(b)(2))
• The Department of Agriculture must create and submit to Congress a plan allowing smaller schools serving fewer than 100 students to receive USDA foods without participating in the school lunch program. (Sec. 3(b)(3))
• The Department of Agriculture must reduce duplicate paperwork demands when conducting management evaluations and financial reviews of school meal programs. (Sec. 3(b)(4))
• Higher reimbursement rates for school breakfasts and lunches now apply through the school year beginning July 2023. (Sec. 2(a))
What Changes
Schools will receive extended higher reimbursement rates for meals through the 2023-2024 school year instead of ending earlier. Schools and states will have easier access to federal guidance in one online location. The Department of Agriculture will study and propose ways to reduce paperwork and simplify eligibility requirements for school meals.
Important Definitions
The bill does not explicitly define any terms beyond referencing existing federal programs and laws.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1424
To amend the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 to extend additional reimbursement
rates for certain child nutrition programs, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 7, 2023
Ms. SPANBERGER (for herself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 to extend addi-
tional reimbursement rates for certain child nutrition
programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping Schools Feed
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Kids Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF REIMBURSEMENT RATES.
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(a) BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHES.—Section 2(a)(3) of
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the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. 1753 note)
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is amended—
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(1) by striking ‘‘only’’; and
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(2) by striking the period at the end and insert-
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ing ‘‘and the school year beginning July 2023.’’
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(b) CACFP MEALS.—Section 3(a) of the Keep Kids
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Fed Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. 1766 note) is amended—
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(1) in paragraph (1), in the heading, by strik-
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ing ‘‘FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR’’; and
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(2) in paragraph (2)—
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(A) by striking ‘‘only’’; and
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(B) by striking the period at the end and
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inserting ‘‘and the school year beginning July
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2023.’’
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SEC. 3. RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION OF REPORT
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RECOMMENDATIONS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture (in
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this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall, in ac-
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cordance with subsection (b), research or implement the
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recommendations contained in the Child Nutrition Report-
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ing Burden Analysis Study (commissioned by the Food
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and Nutrition Service of the Department of Agriculture
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pursuant to House Report 114–531).
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(b) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall—
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(1) implement, on the publicly available website
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of the Food and Nutrition Service, a user-friendly,
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single location for all guidance and policy materials
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provided to States and school food authorities by the
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Food and Nutrition Service of the Department of
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Agriculture;
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(2) create and submit to Congress a plan to re-
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structure or simplify the school meal eligibility proc-
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ess, including—
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(A) research on—
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(i) the impact of using a unified
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school meal application form; and
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(ii) the use of census tract data on
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poverty levels for verification of eligibility
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under the Richard B. Russell National
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School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.)
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and section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of
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1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773); and
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(B)
recommendations
for
legislative
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changes needed to implement such plan;
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(3) create and submit to Congress a plan that
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includes recommendations for legislative changes
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that would allow school food authorities that serve
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fewer than 100 students and residential child care
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institutions to receive food from the USDA Foods in
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Schools program (or cash in lieu thereof) without
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participating in the school lunch program under the
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Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
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U.S.C. 1751 et seq.); and
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(4) consolidate duplicative information requests
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across management evaluations and financial man-
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agement reviews, while ensuring the purposes of
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both such reviews are met.
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