I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9406 

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve 

the efficiency of summer meals. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 23, 2024 

Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and Mrs. 

PELTOLA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 

Act to improve the efficiency of summer meals. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Summer Meals Act 

5 of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN. 

7 (a) BETTER INTEGRATE SUMMER EDUCATION AND

8 SUMMER MEALS PROGRAM.—Section 13(a)(1)(A)(i) of 

9 the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 


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1 U.S.C. 1761(a)(1)(A)(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘50 per2 cent’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘40 percent’’. 

3 (b) REDUCE RED TAPE FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PART4 NERSHIPS.—Section 13(a) of the Richard B. Russell Na5 tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) is amended 

6 by striking paragraph (8) and inserting the following: 

7 ‘‘(8) YEAR-ROUND MEAL SERVICE.— 

8 ‘‘(A) SEAMLESS SUMMER OPTION FOR

9 SCHOOLS.—Except as otherwise determined by 

10 the Secretary, a service institution that is a 

11 public or private nonprofit school food authority 

12 may provide summer or school vacation food 

13 service in accordance with applicable provisions 

14 of law governing the school lunch program es15 tablished under this Act or the school breakfast 

16 program established under the Child Nutrition 

17 Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.). 

18 ‘‘(B) YEAR-ROUND MEAL SERVICE FOR

19 OTHER SERVICE INSTITUTIONS.—Each service 

20 institution (other than a service institution de21 scribed in subparagraph (A)), in addition to 

22 being eligible for reimbursement for meals de23 scribed in subsection (b)(2) served during each 

24 day of operation during the periods described in 

25 subsection (c)(1), may be reimbursed for up to 


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1 1 meal and 1 snack per child served during 

2 each day of operation during— 

3 ‘‘(i) afterschool hours; 

4 ‘‘(ii) weekends; and 

5 ‘‘(iii) school holidays during the reg6 ular school calendar.’’. 

7 (c) IMPROVE NUTRITION IN UNDERSERVED, HARD8 TO-REACH AREAS.—Section 13(a) of the Richard B. Rus9 sell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) is 

10 amended— 

11 (1) by striking paragraphs (9) and (10) and in12 serting the following: 

13 ‘‘(9) IMPROVE NUTRITION IN UNDERSERVED, 

14 HARD-TO-REACH AREAS.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the avail16 ability of appropriations provided in advance in 

17 an appropriations Act specifically for the pur18 pose of carrying out this paragraph, the Sec19 retary may award competitive grants to service 

20 institutions selected by the Secretary to in21 crease participation in the program at con22 gregate feeding sites through— 

23 ‘‘(i) innovative approaches to limited 

24 transportation; and 

25 ‘‘(ii) mobile meal trucks. 


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1 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—To be selected to re2 ceive a grant under this paragraph, a service in3 stitution— 

4 ‘‘(i) may be located in any State; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) shall— 

6 ‘‘(I) submit to the Secretary an 

7 application at such time, in such man8 ner, and containing such information 

9 as the Secretary may require; 

10 ‘‘(II) meet criteria established by 

11 the Secretary; and 

12 ‘‘(III) agree to the terms and 

13 conditions of the grant, as established 

14 by the Secretary. 

15 ‘‘(C) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants 

16 under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give 

17 priority to service institutions that— 

18 ‘‘(i) serve both breakfast and lunch; 

19 or 

20 ‘‘(ii) offer educational or enrichment 

21 programs. 

22 ‘‘(D) TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT.—A serv23 ice institution that receives a grant under sub24 paragraph (A)(i) may use grant funds to proVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:44 Sep 07, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9406.IH H9406

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1 vide reimbursement for travel to satellite con2 gregate feeding sites. 

3 ‘‘(E) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA4 TIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 

5 to the Secretary to make competitive grants 

6 under this paragraph $10,000,000 for each fis7 cal year.’’; and 

8 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (11) and (12) 

9 as paragraphs (10) and (11), respectively. 

10 (d) THIRD MEAL.—Section 13(b)(2) of the Richard 

11 B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 

12 1761(b)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘only serve lunch’’ 

13 and all that follows through ‘‘migrant children may’’. 

Æ 


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