II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4525 

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

program requirements, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 12, 2024 

Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. FETTERMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 

Act to improve program requirements, 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 Hunger Elimi5 nation Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MANDATORY DIRECT CERTIFICATION. 

7 Section 9(b)(5) of the Richard B. Russell National 

8 School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(5)) is amended— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4525 IS

1 (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘‘DIS2 CRETIONARY CERTIFICATION’’ and inserting ‘‘DI3 RECT CERTIFICATION OF ADDITIONAL LOW-INCOME

4 CHILDREN’’; and 

5 (2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

6 by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’. 

7 SEC. 3. DIRECT CERTIFICATION FOR CHILDREN RECEIVING 

8 SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 9(b)(5) of the Richard B. 

10 Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 

11 1758(b)(5)) is amended— 

12 (1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 

13 the end; 

14 (2) in subparagraph (E)(ii), by striking the pe15 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

16 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(F) a child who receives supplemental se18 curity income payments under title XVI of the 

19 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.).’’. 

20 (b) DATA FROM SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRA21 TION.—Section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National 

22 School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)) is amended by add23 ing at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(16) DATA FROM SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINIS25 TRATION.—In the case of direct certification under 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4525 IS

1 paragraph (5) or (12)(A) of a child who receives 

2 supplemental security income payments under title 

3 XVI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1381 et 

4 seq.), the Commissioner of Social Security shall pro5 vide a local educational agency with the data nec6 essary to certify the child in accordance with a data7 sharing agreement between the Commissioner and 

8 the State in which the local educational agency is lo9 cated.’’. 

10 SEC. 4. RETROACTIVE REIMBURSEMENT. 

11 Section 9(b)(9) of the Richard B. Russell National 

12 School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(9)) is amended by 

13 adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(D) RETROACTIVE REIMBURSEMENT.— 

15 ‘‘(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara16 graph: 

17 ‘‘(I) CHANGE IN ELIGIBILITY.— 

18 The term ‘change in eligibility’ means, 

19 with respect to eligibility for the 

20 school lunch program under this 

21 Act— 

22 ‘‘(aa) a change from eligi23 bility for reduced price meals to 

24 eligibility for free meals; and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(bb) a change from non2 eligibility to eligibility for free or 

3 reduced price meals. 

4 ‘‘(II) MEAL CLAIM.—The term 

5 ‘meal claim’ means any documenta6 tion provided by a school food author7 ity to a State agency in order to re8 ceive reimbursement under this Act 

9 for the cost of a meal served to a 

10 child by the school food authority. 

11 ‘‘(III) PREVIOUSLY SUB12 MITTED.—The term ‘previously sub13 mitted’, with respect to a meal claim, 

14 means a meal claim submitted on or 

15 after the retroactive date. 

16 ‘‘(IV) RETROACTIVE DATE.—The 

17 term ‘retroactive date’ means the first 

18 day of the current school year. 

19 ‘‘(ii) RETROACTIVITY.— 

20 ‘‘(I) SUBMISSION OF MEAL

21 CLAIMS.—A local educational agency 

22 shall— 

23 ‘‘(aa) revise and resubmit a 

24 previously submitted meal claim 

25 to reflect a change in eligibility 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 4525 IS

1 described in subclause (i)(I)(aa) 

2 of a child; and 

3 ‘‘(bb) submit a meal claim 

4 for any meal provided on or after 

5 the retroactive date for a child 

6 that has a change of eligibility 

7 described in subclause (i)(I)(bb). 

8 ‘‘(II) REIMBURSEMENT BY SEC9 RETARY.—The Secretary shall reim10 burse each meal claim submitted by a 

11 local educational agency under sub12 clause (I). 

13 ‘‘(iii) REIMBURSEMENT TO FAMI14 LIES.—A local educational agency that re15 ceives a reimbursement under clause 

16 (ii)(II) shall reimburse the household of a 

17 child for any fees paid by the household on 

18 or after the retroactive date and prior to 

19 the change in eligibility of the child.’’. 

20 SEC. 5. UNIVERSAL MEDICAID DIRECT CERTIFICATION. 

21 Section 9(b)(15) of the Richard B. Russell National 

22 School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(15)) is amended— 

23 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 

24 (A) by striking clause (i) and inserting the 

25 following: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(i) ELIGIBLE CHILD.— 

2 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘el3 igible child’ means a child who— 

4 ‘‘(aa)(AA) is eligible for and 

5 receiving medical assistance 

6 under the Medicaid program; and 

7 ‘‘(BB) is a member of a 

8 family with an income as meas9 ured by the Medicaid program 

10 that does not exceed, in the case 

11 of eligibility for free meals, 133 

12 percent of the poverty line (as 

13 defined in section 673(2) of the 

14 Community Services Block Grant 

15 Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)), includ16 ing any revision required by such 

17 section) applicable to a family of 

18 the size used for purposes of de19 termining eligibility for the Med20 icaid program, or, in the case of 

21 eligibility for reduced price meals, 

22 the applicable family size income 

23 level under the income eligibility 

24 guidelines for reduced price 

25 meals; or 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(bb) is a member of a 

2 household (as that term is de3 fined in section 245.2 of title 7, 

4 Code of Federal Regulations (or 

5 successor regulations)) with a 

6 child described in item (aa). 

7 ‘‘(II) OTHER CHILDREN.—The 

8 term ‘eligible child’ includes a child 

9 who is eligible for and receiving med10 ical assistance under the Medicaid 

11 program under subclause (I) of sec12 tion 1902(a)(10)(A)(i) of the Social 

13 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

14 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i))— 

15 ‘‘(aa) on the basis of receiv16 ing aid or assistance under the 

17 State plan approved under part 

18 E of title IV of that Act (42 

19 U.S.C. 670 et seq.); 

20 ‘‘(bb) by reason of section 

21 473(b) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 673(b)); or 

23 ‘‘(cc) under subclause (II) of 

24 section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i) of that 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 4525 IS

1 Act (42 U.S.C. 

2 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i)).’’; and 

3 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(iii) WITHOUT FURTHER APPLICA5 TION.—The term ‘without further applica6 tion’ has the meaning given the term in 

7 paragraph (4)(G).’’; and 

8 (2) by striking subparagraphs (B) through (H) 

9 and inserting the following: 

10 ‘‘(B) AGREEMENT.—For the school year 

11 beginning on July 1, 2025, and each school 

12 year thereafter, each State shall enter into an 

13 agreement described in subparagraph (C) with 

14 the 1 or more State agencies conducting eligi15 bility determinations for the Medicaid program. 

16 ‘‘(C) PROCEDURES.— 

17 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to sub18 paragraph (D) and paragraph (6), an 

19 agreement entered into under subpara20 graph (B) shall establish procedures under 

21 which an eligible child shall be certified as 

22 eligible, without further application, for— 

23 ‘‘(I) free or reduced price lunch 

24 under this Act; and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(II) free or reduced price break2 fast under section 4 of the Child Nu3 trition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773). 

4 ‘‘(ii) FREE MEALS.—Each agreement 

5 entered into under subparagraph (B) shall 

6 ensure that a child who is simultaneously 

7 eligible for reduced price meals under this 

8 paragraph or based on an income eligibility 

9 determination, and for free meals based on 

10 documentation provided under subsection 

11 (d)(2), shall be certified for free meals. 

12 ‘‘(D) CERTIFICATION.—Subject to para13 graph (6), and according to an agreement en14 tered into under subparagraph (B), the local 

15 educational agency conducting eligibility deter16 minations under that agreement shall certify an 

17 eligible child as eligible, without further applica18 tion, for— 

19 ‘‘(i) free or reduced price lunch under 

20 this Act; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) free or reduced price breakfast 

22 under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act 

23 of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 4525 IS

1 SEC. 6. UNIVERSAL MEAL SERVICE IN HIGH-POVERTY 

2 AREAS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 11(a)(1)(F) of the Rich4 ard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 1759a(a)(1)(F)) is amended by striking clause (vii) and 

6 inserting the following: 

7 ‘‘(vii) MULTIPLIER.—For each school 

8 year beginning on or after July 1, 2025, 

9 the multiplier shall be 2.5.’’. 

10 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

11 11(a)(1)(F)(xi) of the Richard B. Russell National School 

12 Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)(F)(xi)) is amended by 

13 striking subclause (III). 

14 SEC. 7. STATEWIDE FREE UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS DEM15 ONSTRATION PROJECTS. 

16 Section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National 

17 School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)) is amended by 

18 adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(G) STATEWIDE FREE UNIVERSAL

20 SCHOOL MEALS DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.— 

21 ‘‘(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this subpara22 graph: 

23 ‘‘(I) DEMONSTRATION

24 PROJECT.—The term ‘demonstration 

25 project’ means a demonstration 

26 project carried out under clause (ii). 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
11 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(II) ELIGIBLE SCHOOL.— 

2 ‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—The 

3 term ‘eligible school’ means a 

4 school that participates in the 

5 school lunch program under this 

6 Act and the school breakfast pro7 gram under section 4 of the 

8 Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 

9 U.S.C. 1773). 

10 ‘‘(bb) EXCLUSION.—The 

11 term ‘eligible school’ does not in12 clude residential child care insti13 tutions (as defined in section 

14 210.2 of title 7, Code of Federal 

15 Regulations (or successor regula16 tions)). 

17 ‘‘(III) IDENTIFIED STUDENTS.— 

18 The term ‘identified students’ has the 

19 meaning given the term in subpara20 graph (F)(i). 

21 ‘‘(IV) SELECTED STATE.—The 

22 term ‘selected State’ means a State 

23 selected to carry out a demonstration 

24 project under clause (iii)(I). 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
12 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(ii) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later 

2 than July 1, 2026, the Secretary shall 

3 carry out demonstration projects in se4 lected States under which school meals are 

5 provided at no charge to every student at 

6 an eligible school in the selected State. 

7 ‘‘(iii) STATE SELECTION.— 

8 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Sec9 retary shall select not more than 5 

10 States to each carry out a demonstra11 tion project. 

12 ‘‘(II) APPLICATIONS.—A State 

13 seeking to carry out a demonstration 

14 project shall submit to the Secretary 

15 an application at such time, in such 

16 manner, and containing such informa17 tion as the Secretary may require. 

18 ‘‘(III) PRIORITY.—In carrying 

19 out subclause (I), the Secretary shall 

20 give priority to a State based on— 

21 ‘‘(aa) the level of childhood 

22 poverty in the State; 

23 ‘‘(bb) the extent to which 

24 the State has implemented sub25 paragraph (F); 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
13 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(cc) the extent to which the 

2 direct certification rate of the 

3 State meets the required percent4 age (as defined in section 

5 9(b)(4)(F)(i)); 

6 ‘‘(dd) the extent to which 

7 the State demonstrates a com8 mitment to providing technical 

9 assistance to local educational 

10 agencies that will implement the 

11 demonstration project in the 

12 State; and 

13 ‘‘(ee) the extent to which the 

14 State demonstrates a commit15 ment to providing non-Federal 

16 funding under clause (vi)(III). 

17 ‘‘(iv) START DATE.—A demonstration 

18 project shall begin in a selected State on 

19 the first day of the school year in that 

20 State. 

21 ‘‘(v) SPECIAL ASSISTANCE PAY22 MENTS.— 

23 ‘‘(I) FIRST YEAR.—For each 

24 month of the first school year during 

25 which a demonstration project is carVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:53 Aug 03, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4525.IS S4525

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
14 

•S 4525 IS

1 ried out, a selected State shall receive 

2 special assistance payments at the 

3 rate for free meals for a percentage of 

4 all reimbursable meals served in eligi5 ble schools in the State in an amount 

6 equal to the product obtained by mul7 tiplying— 

8 ‘‘(aa) 1.9; and 

9 ‘‘(bb) the percentage of 

10 identified students in eligible 

11 schools in the State as of the last 

12 day of the prior school year, up 

13 to a maximum of 100 percent. 

14 ‘‘(II) SUBSEQUENT YEARS.—For 

15 each month of the second school year 

16 and each subsequent school year dur17 ing which a demonstration project is 

18 carried out, a selected State shall re19 ceive special assistance payments at 

20 the rate for free meals for a percent21 age of all reimbursable meals served 

22 in eligible schools in the State in an 

23 amount equal to the product obtained 

24 by multiplying— 

25 ‘‘(aa) 1.9; and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
15 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(bb) the higher of— 

2 ‘‘(AA) the percentage 

3 of identified students in eli4 gible schools as of the last 

5 day of the prior school year; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(BB) the percentage 

8 of identified students in eli9 gible schools as of the last 

10 day of the school year prior 

11 to the first school year dur12 ing which a demonstration 

13 project is carried out, up to 

14 a maximum of 100 percent. 

15 ‘‘(III) PAYMENT FOR OTHER

16 MEALS.—With respect to the reim17 bursable meals described in subclauses 

18 (I) and (II) for which a selected State 

19 is not receiving special assistance pay20 ments under this clause, the reim21 bursement rate shall be the rate pro22 vided under section 4. 

23 ‘‘(IV) PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF.—A 

24 special assistance payment made 

25 under this clause shall be in lieu of 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
16 

•S 4525 IS

1 any other special assistance payment 

2 made under this paragraph. 

3 ‘‘(vi) STATE IMPLEMENTATION.— 

4 ‘‘(I) PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES.— 

5 Each selected State shall, in the 

6 school year preceding the first school 

7 year during which the demonstration 

8 project shall be carried out in the 

9 State— 

10 ‘‘(aa) identify each eligible 

11 school in the State; 

12 ‘‘(bb) in consultation with 

13 the Secretary, combine the per14 centage of identified students 

15 across eligible schools for the 

16 purpose of calculating the max17 imum reimbursement rate to en18 sure that the special assistance 

19 payments received under clause 

20 (v) are for the maximum amount; 

21 ‘‘(cc) inform local edu22 cational agencies of the dem23 onstration project; and 

24 ‘‘(dd) coordinate with local 

25 educational agencies to provide 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
17 

•S 4525 IS

1 information about the demonstra2 tion project to parents or guard3 ians of students attending eligible 

4 schools. 

5 ‘‘(II) MEAL SERVICE.—As part 

6 of a demonstration project, an eligible 

7 school in a selected State— 

8 ‘‘(aa) shall not collect appli9 cations for free and reduced price 

10 lunches under this Act; and 

11 ‘‘(bb) shall make school 

12 meals available to all children at 

13 the school at no charge. 

14 ‘‘(III) NON-FEDERAL FUND15 ING.— 

16 ‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—Each 

17 selected State may support the 

18 demonstration project using— 

19 ‘‘(AA) funds from State 

20 and local sources that are 

21 used for the maintenance of 

22 the free lunch program 

23 under this Act and the free 

24 breakfast program under 

25 section 4 of the Child NutriVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:53 Aug 03, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4525.IS S4525

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
18 

•S 4525 IS

1 tion Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 

2 1773); and 

3 ‘‘(BB) State revenues 

4 appropriated or used for 

5 program purposes under sec6 tion 7. 

7 ‘‘(bb) NON-FEDERAL CON8 TRIBUTIONS.—In addition to the 

9 funding received under this Act 

10 and the Child Nutrition Act of 

11 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), 

12 each selected State shall provide 

13 funding from non-Federal 

14 sources to ensure that local edu15 cational agencies in the State re16 ceive the free reimbursement rate 

17 for not less than 90 percent of 

18 the meals served at eligible 

19 schools. 

20 ‘‘(cc) CONTINUATION OF

21 FREE RATE.—A selected State 

22 that receives special assistance 

23 payments at the free reimburse24 ment rate under subparagraph 

25 (F) for more than 90 percent of 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
19 

•S 4525 IS

1 the meals served at eligible 

2 schools during the school year 

3 preceding the first school year 

4 during which a demonstration 

5 project is carried out shall con6 tinue to receive the free reim7 bursement rate for not less than 

8 the same percentage of meals in 

9 each school year during which a 

10 demonstration project is carried 

11 out. 

12 ‘‘(vii) REPORT.— 

13 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Not later 

14 than September 30, 2030, the Sec15 retary, acting through the Adminis16 trator of the Food and Nutrition 

17 Service, shall submit to the Com18 mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

19 Forestry of the Senate and the Com20 mittees on Agriculture and Education 

21 and Labor of the House of Represent22 atives a report that evaluates the im23 pact of each demonstration project in 

24 a selected State with respect to— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
20 

•S 4525 IS

1 ‘‘(aa) academic achievement, 

2 absenteeism, tardiness, the school 

3 environment, child food insecu4 rity in the selected State, and 

5 other key factors identified in 

6 consultation with the Secretary 

7 of Education; 

8 ‘‘(bb) the rate of participa9 tion in the free lunch program 

10 under this Act and the free 

11 breakfast program under section 

12 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 

13 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) among 

14 identified students and other stu15 dents; 

16 ‘‘(cc) school meal services, 

17 finances, and operations in the 

18 selected State; 

19 ‘‘(dd) administrative costs to 

20 the selected State and the school 

21 food authorities participating in 

22 the demonstration project; and 

23 ‘‘(ee) the integrity of the op24 eration of the free lunch program 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
21 

•S 4525 IS

1 under this Act in the selected 

2 State. 

3 ‘‘(II) FUNDING.— 

4 ‘‘(aa) IN GENERAL.—On Oc5 tober 1, 2026, out of any funds 

6 in the Treasury not otherwise ap7 propriated, the Secretary of the 

8 Treasury shall transfer to the 

9 Secretary to carry out this clause 

10 $3,000,000, to remain available 

11 until September 30, 2030. 

12 ‘‘(bb) RECEIPT AND AC13 CEPTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

14 be entitled to receive, shall ac15 cept, and shall use to carry out 

16 this clause the funds transferred 

17 under item (aa), without further 

18 appropriation.’’. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS