II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1162

To provide supplemental foods and nutrition education to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children of

military families stationed outside the United States that are similar

to supplemental foods and nutrition education provided in the United

States under the special supplemental nutrition program for women,

infants, and children.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 27, 1999

Mr. LEAHY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To provide supplemental foods and nutrition education to

low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding

women, infants, and children of military families stationed outside the United States that are similar to

supplemental foods and nutrition education provided in

the United States under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Fami3 lies in the Military Service Act of 1999’’.

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

6 (1) prenatal care and proper nutrition for preg7 nant women reduces the incidence of birth abnor8 malities and low birth weight among infants;

9 (2) proper nutrition for infants and young chil10 dren has very positive health and growth benefits;

11 and

12 (3) women, infants, and children of military

13 families stationed outside the United States are po14 tentially at nutritional risk.

15 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to ensure

16 that women, infants, and children of military families sta17 tioned outside the United States receive supplemental

18 foods and nutrition education if they generally would be

19 eligible to receive supplemental foods and nutrition edu20 cation provided in the United States under the special sup21 plemental nutrition program for women, infants, and chil22 dren established under section 17 of the Child Nutrition

23 Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
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1 SEC. 3. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION BENEFITS

2 FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN OF

3 MILITARY FAMILIES STATIONED OUTSIDE

4 THE UNITED STATES.

5 Section 1060a of title 10, United States Code, is

6 amended—

7 (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub8 section (h); and

9 (2) by striking subsections (a) through (e) and

10 inserting the following:

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, in

12 consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall estab13 lish and carry out a program to provide, at no cost to

14 the recipient, supplemental foods and nutrition education

15 to—

16 ‘‘(1) low-income pregnant, postpartum, and

17 breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to 5

18 years of age of military families of the armed forces

19 of the United States stationed outside the United

20 States (and its territories and possessions); and

21 ‘‘(2) eligible civilians serving with, employed by,

22 or accompanying the armed forces outside the

23 United States (and its territories and possessions).

24 ‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATION.—Except as otherwise pro25 vided in this section, the Secretary of Defense, in consulta26 tion with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall operate the
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1 program under this section in a manner that is similar

2 to the special supplemental nutrition program for women,

3 infants, and children established under section 17 of the

4 Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).

5 ‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense, in

6 consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall pro7 mulgate regulations to carry out this section that are as

8 similar as practicable to regulations promulgated to carry

9 out the special supplemental nutrition program for

10 women, infants, and children established under section 17

11 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, but that take into

12 account—

13 ‘‘(1) the need to use military personnel to carry

14 out functions under the program established under

15 this section, including functions relating to supple16 mental foods, nutrition education, eligibility deter17 minations, oversight, enforcement, auditing, finan18 cial management, application reviews, delivery of

19 benefits and program information, handling of local

20 operations and administration, and reporting and

21 recordkeeping;

22 ‘‘(2) the need to limit participation to certain

23 military installations to ensure efficient program op24 erations using funds made available to carry out this

25 section;
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1 ‘‘(3) the availability in foreign countries of ex2 change stores, commissary stores, and other sources

3 of supplemental foods; and

4 ‘‘(4) other factors or circumstances determined

5 appropriate by the Secretary of Defense, including

6 the need to phase-in program operations during fis7 cal year 2000.

8 ‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY.—

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense

10 shall be responsible for the implementation, manage11 ment, and operation of the program established

12 under this section, including ensuring the proper ex13 penditure of funds made available to carry out this

14 section.

15 ‘‘(2) INVESTIGATION AND MONITORING.—The

16 Inspectors General of the Armed Forces and the De17 partment of Defense shall investigate and monitor

18 the implementation of this section.

19 ‘‘(e) RECORDS.—The Secretary of Defense shall re20 quire that such accounts and records (including medical

21 records) be maintained as are necessary to enable the Sec22 retary of Defense to—

23 ‘‘(1) determine whether there has been compli24 ance with this section; and
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1 ‘‘(2) determine and evaluate the adequacy of

2 benefits provided under this section.

3 ‘‘(f) REPORT.—

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than March 1,

5 2001, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with

6 the Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit a report

7 describing the implementation of this section to—

8 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the

9 House of Representatives;

10 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Armed Services of

11 the House of Representatives;

12 ‘‘(C) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri13 tion, and Forestry of the Senate; and

14 ‘‘(D) the Committee on Armed Services of

15 the Senate.

16 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report under

17 paragraph (1) shall include a description of partici18 pation rates, typical food packages, health and nutri19 tion assessment procedures, eligibility determina20 tions, management difficulties, and benefits of the

21 program established under this section.

22 ‘‘(g) FUNDING.—

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Out of any funds in the

24 Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary
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1 of the Treasury shall provide to the Secretary of De2 fense to carry out this section—

3 ‘‘(A) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;

4 ‘‘(B) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2001; and

5 ‘‘(C) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.

6 ‘‘(2) RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE.—The Sec7 retary of Defense shall be entitled to receive the

8 funds and shall accept the funds, without further

9 appropriation.’’.

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