I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1783 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to issue loan guarantees for purposes 

of financing improvements to school lunch facilities, training school food 

service personnel, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2013 

Mr. LATHAM (for himself and Mr. MCINTYRE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 

and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to issue loan guarantees for purposes of financing improvements to school 

lunch facilities, training school food service personnel, 

and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘School Food Mod5 ernization Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

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1 (1) DURABLE EQUIPMENT.—The term ‘‘durable 

2 equipment’’ means durable food preparation, han3 dling, cooking, serving, and storage equipment. 

4 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti5 ty’’ means— 

6 (A) a local educational agency operating a 

7 school lunch program; 

8 (B) a tribal organization; or 

9 (C) a consortium that includes a local edu10 cational agency described in subparagraph (A), 

11 a tribal organization, or both. 

12 (3) INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term ‘‘infrastruc13 ture’’ means a food storage facility, kitchen, food 

14 service facility, cafeteria, dining room, or food prepa15 ration facility. 

16 (4) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 

17 ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 

18 such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and 

19 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

20 (5) SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.—The term 

21 ‘‘school lunch program’’ means the school lunch pro22 gram established under the Richard B. Russell Na23 tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). 

24 (6) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘tribal 

25 organization’’ has the meaning given the term in 

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1 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu2 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 

3 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

4 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

5 SEC. 3. LOAN GUARANTEE FOR ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOLS 

6 FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND 

7 DURABLE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO PRO8 VIDE HEALTHY MEALS THROUGH SCHOOL 

9 FOOD PROGRAMS. 

10 (a) AUTHORITY TO GUARANTEE LOANS.—The Sec11 retary of Agriculture shall issue a loan guarantee to an 

12 eligible entity for purposes of financing the construction, 

13 remodeling, or expansion of infrastructure or the purchase 

14 of durable equipment that the Secretary determines will 

15 assist such entity in providing healthy meals through the 

16 school food programs. 

17 (b) COMPETITIVE BASIS.—Subject to subsection (c), 

18 the Secretary shall select eligible entities to receive a loan 

19 guarantee under this section on a competitive basis. 

20 (c) PREFERENCES.—In issuing a loan guarantee 

21 under this section, the Secretary shall give a preference 

22 to an eligible entity that, compared with other eligible enti23 ties seeking a loan guarantee under this section, the Sec24 retary determines demonstrates substantial or dispropor25 tionate need for— 

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1 (1) infrastructure improvement; or 

2 (2) durable equipment need or impairment. 

3 (d) OVERSIGHT.—The Secretary shall establish pro4 cedures to enable the Secretary to oversee the construc5 tion, remodeling, or expansion of infrastructure or the 

6 purchase of durable equipment for which a loan guarantee 

7 is issued under this section. 

8 (e) GUARANTEE AMOUNT.—A loan guarantee issued 

9 under this section may not guarantee more than 90 per10 cent of the principal amount of the loan. 

11 (f) USE OF COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.— 

12 The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authori13 ties of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this 

14 section. 

15 SEC. 4. EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. 

16 Section 7 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 

17 U.S.C. 1776) is amended— 

18 (1) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub19 section (k); and 

20 (2) by inserting after subsection (i), the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(j) EQUIPMENT GRANTS.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning fiscal year 2015 

24 and subject to the availability of appropriations, the 

25 Secretary shall make grants, on a competitive basis, 

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1 to eligible entities to assist such entities in pur2 chasing the durable equipment and infrastructure 

3 needed to serve healthier meals and improve food 

4 safety. 

5 ‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 

6 subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to eligi7 ble entities serving a high percentage of students eli8 gible for free or reduced price under the Richard B. 

9 Russell National School Lunch Act. 

10 ‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub11 section: 

12 ‘‘(A) DURABLE EQUIPMENT.—The term 

13 ‘durable equipment’ means durable food prepa14 ration, handling, cooking, serving, and storage 

15 equipment. 

16 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligi17 ble entity’ means— 

18 ‘‘(i) a local educational agency oper19 ating a school lunch program; 

20 ‘‘(ii) a tribal organization; or 

21 ‘‘(iii) a consortium that includes a 

22 local educational agency described in 

23 clause (i), a tribal organization, or both. 

24 ‘‘(C) INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term ‘infra25 structure’ means a food storage facility, kitchmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 en, food service facility, cafeteria, dining room, 

2 or food preparation facility.’’. 

3 SEC. 5. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR 

4 SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE PERSONNEL. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 

6 grant program under which the Secretary shall award 

7 grants, on a competitive basis, to provide support to eligi8 ble third-party training institutions described in sub9 section (b) to develop and administer training and tech10 nical assistance for school foodservice personnel to meet 

11 updated nutrition standards under section 4(b)(3) of the 

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

13 1753(b)(3)) for the school food programs. 

14 (b) CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBLE THIRD-PARTY INSTITU15 TIONS.—The Secretary shall establish specific criteria that 

16 eligible third-party training institutions shall meet to re17 ceive grants under this section, which shall include— 

18 (1) a demonstrated capacity to administer effec19 tive training and technical assistance programming 

20 to school foodservice personnel; 

21 (2) prior, successful experience in providing or 

22 engaging in training and technical assistance pro23 gramming or applied research activities involving eli24 gible entities, school food service administrators, or 

25 directors; 

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1 (3) prior, successful experience in developing 

2 relevant educational training tools or course mate3 rials or curricula on topics addressing child and 

4 school nutrition or the updated nutrition standards 

5 under section 4(b)(3) of the Richard B. Russell Na6 tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753(b)(3)); 

7 and 

8 (4) the ability to deliver effective and cost-effi9 cient training and technical assistance programming 

10 to school foodservice personnel at training sites that 

11 are located within a proximate geographic distance 

12 to schools, central kitchens, or other worksites. 

13 (c) PROGRAM ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall as14 sist the institutions receiving grants under this section in 

15 publicizing and disseminating training and other project 

16 materials and online tools wherever possible. 

17 (d) FEDERAL SHARE.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of costs 

19 for training and technical assistance funded through 

20 a grant awarded under this section shall not exceed 

21 90 percent of the total cost of such training and 

22 technical assistance. 

23 (2) MATCHING.—As a condition of receiving a 

24 grant under this section, the eligible third-party 

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1 training institution shall provide matching support 

2 in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. 

3 (e) OVERSIGHT.—The Secretary shall establish pro4 cedures to enable the Secretary to— 

5 (1) oversee the administration and operation of 

6 training and technical assistance funded through 

7 grants awarded under this section; and 

8 (2) ensure that such training and assistance is 

9 operated consistent with the goals and requirements 

10 of this Act. 

11 SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

12 Not later than one year after funds are made avail13 able to carry out this Act, and annually thereafter, the 

14 Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the Sec15 retary’s progress in implementing the provisions of this 

16 Act. 

17 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

19 as may be necessary to carry out this Act for fiscal year 

20 2014 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

Æ 

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