Helping Hungry Students Learn Act

Summary: Helping Hungry Students Learn Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (Russell Act) to raise the eligibility level for free lunches under the school lunch program to 185% of the poverty level. (Currently it is set at 130%.) Eliminates reduced price lunches, for which eligibility is currently set at 185% of the poverty level. Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require schools participating in the school breakfast program to provide a free breakfast to each student who desires one. Sets the national average payment for each breakfast served to any child at the national average payment for each free breakfast served during the school year. Requires states to provide additional assistance, in the form of higher breakfast reimbursement rates, to schools in which there is an alternative breakfast serving model to increase participation in the school breakfast program, such as by serving breakfast in the classroom or having a school breakfast cart. Amends the Russell Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to award grants to assist states with the initial costs of participating in a summer electronic benefits transfer for children program to improve children's access to food during the summer months. Directs the Secretary to implement a pilot program providing commodities, on a competitive basis, to states to enable nonprofits to serve nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year. (At-risk school children are those who participate in the school lunch program and reside in an area served by a school in which at least 50% of the students receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs.) Includes elementary and secondary schools, school food authorities, food banks or pantries, homeless shelters, and other Secretary-approved emergency feeding agencies as eligible nonprofit program participants. Requires the nonprofits serving such commodities to satisfy safe food storage, handling, and delivery standards established by the Secretary.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Hungry Students Learn Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In 2012, nearly one in five children in America lived 
        in a household that lacked access to nutritious food on a 
        regular basis. That is 15.9 million American children who 
        struggled with hunger at some time during the year.
            (2) Children who experience hunger are more likely to get 
        sick and are more likely to be obese than those who do not. 
        Children facing chronic hunger also find it more difficult to 
        concentrate in school and tend to exhibit higher levels of 
        behavioral, emotional, and academic problems.
            (3) Federal programs play an important role in addressing 
        childhood hunger. In 2013, 21 million students participated in 
        the free or reduced-price lunch program. Eleven million 
        students participated in the free or reduced-price breakfast 
        program. Three million low-income children received free meals 
        during the summer months. Forty-seven percent of participants 
        in the supplemental nutrition assistance program are under the 
        age of 18.
            (4) On average, students who eat school breakfast achieve 
        17.5 percent higher scores on standardized math tests, and 
        attend 1.5 more days of school each year than those who do not. 
        Students who attend class more regularly are 20 percent more 
        likely to graduate from high school. Participation in the 
        school breakfast program is associated with children having a 
        lower Body Mass Index.

SEC. 3. SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.

    Section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting after the third 
        sentence the following: ``Notwithstanding any other provision 
        of this Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, for each 
        school year beginning on or after the July 1 of the year 
        following the year of enactment of the Helping Hungry Students 
        Learn Act, the income guidelines for determining eligibility 
        for free lunches shall be 185 percent of the applicable family 
        size income levels contained in the nonfarm income poverty 
        guidelines prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget, 
        as adjusted annually in accordance with subparagraph (B)''; and
            (2) in paragraph (9)(B), by inserting at the end the 
        following:
                            ``(iii) Termination of reduced-price 
                        category.--Beginning with the school year 
                        beginning July 1 of the year following the year 
                        of enactment of the Helping Hungry Students 
                        Learn Act, no child shall be determined 
                        eligible for a reduced price lunch.''.

SEC. 4. SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM.

    (a) Universal School Breakfast Program.--Section 4(a) of the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(a) There'' and inserting: ``(a)(1) 
        There''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Universal school breakfast program.--For each school 
        year beginning on or after the July 1 of the year following the 
        year of enactment of the Helping Hungry Students Learn Act, 
        each school participating in the school breakfast program under 
        this section shall provide breakfast under the program to each 
        student that desires such a breakfast at no cost to the 
        student.''.
    (b) National Average Payment Rate.--Section 4(b)(1)(B) of the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(b)(1)(B)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: ``Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
Act or the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, for each 
school year beginning on or after the July 1 of the year following the 
year of enactment of the Helping Hungry Students Learn Act, the 
national average payment for each breakfast served to any child shall 
be equal to the national average payment for each free breakfast served 
during the school year beginning July 1 of the year of enactment of the 
Helping Hungry Students Learn Act (which shall be adjusted pursuant to 
section 11(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act).''.
    (c) Severe Need Assistance.--Section 4(d)(1) of the Child Nutrition 
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(d)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(A) during'' and inserting: ``(A)(i) 
        during'';
            (2) by striking ``(B) in'' and inserting ``(ii) in'';
            (3) by striking ``subparagraph (A)'' and inserting ``clause 
        (i)'';
            (4) by striking ``met.'' and inserting ``met; and''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) for each school year beginning on or after 
                the July 1 of the year following the year of enactment 
                of the Helping Hungry Students Learn Act, there is an 
                alternative breakfast serving model to increase 
                participation in the school breakfast program, such as 
                by serving breakfast in the classroom or having a 
                school breakfast cart.''.

SEC. 5. SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM.

    The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 30. SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--From the amount appropriated to carry out this 
section, the Secretary shall carry out a summer electronic benefits 
transfer for children program by awarding grants to States that desire 
to participate in such program to assist such States with the initial 
administrative costs of such participation.
    ``(b) Program Requirements.--The summer electronic benefits 
transfer for children program carried out under this section shall have 
the same terms and conditions as the summer electronic benefits 
transfer for children demonstration project carried out under section 
749(g) of the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (Public 
Law 111-80; 123 Stat. 2131), except that the Secretary shall prescribe 
an annual adjustment for the monthly benefit of $60 per child that is 
adjusted at the time that the annual adjustments are made for the 
national average payment rates for breakfasts and lunches (pursuant to 
section 11(a) of this Act).''.

SEC. 6. 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:
    ``(l) 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 
        State agencies for the purposes of enabling eligible 
        institutions to carry out projects to provide nutritious food 
        to at-risk children on weekends and during extended school 
        holidays during the school year.
            ``(3) Applications.--To participate in the program under 
        this subsection, a State agency shall submit an application to 
        the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require.
            ``(4) Eligibility.--
                    ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive 
                commodities under this subsection, an eligible 
                institution shall submit an application to the State 
                agency involved at such time, in such manner, and 
                containing such information as the State agency may 
                require.
                    ``(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 under the project to be carried out under this 
                subsection, 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.
            ``(5) Priority.--In selecting applications under this 
        subsection, a State agency 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.
            ``(6) Guidelines.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall issue 
                guidelines containing the criteria for eligible 
                institutions to receive commodities under this section 
                from State agencies.
                    ``(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 that will be carried out by eligible 
                        institutions 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.
            ``(7) Evaluation.--
                    ``(A) Interim evaluation.--Not later than November 
                30, 2016, the Secretary shall complete an interim 
                evaluation of the pilot program carried out under this 
                subsection.
                    ``(B) Final report.--Not later than December 31, 
                2018, 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.
            ``(8) Funding.--
                    ``(A) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
                authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
                subsection 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.''.