II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1918 

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

alternative options for summer food service program delivery. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2019 

Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. BROWN, Mrs. 

HYDE-SMITH, Mr. BENNET, and Mr. HOEVEN) 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 require alternative options for summer food service program delivery. 

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 ‘‘Hunger-Free Summer 

5 for Kids Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR SUMMER FOOD SERV7 ICE PROGRAM DELIVERY. 

8 Section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School 

9 Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(13) ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR PROGRAM

4 DELIVERY.— 

5 ‘‘(A) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this para6 graph is to establish the alternative program 

7 delivery options described in subparagraph 

8 (B)— 

9 ‘‘(i) to provide meals to children that 

10 do not have readily available access to 

11 meals otherwise provided under this sec12 tion; and 

13 ‘‘(ii)(I) to increase program participa14 tion, effectiveness, and efficiency; 

15 ‘‘(II) to improve child nutrition; and 

16 ‘‘(III) to reduce food insecurity among 

17 children. 

18 ‘‘(B) ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS.—The Sec19 retary shall establish the following 2 alternative 

20 options for program delivery: 

21 ‘‘(i) Provision of an electronic benefit 

22 card (referred to in this paragraph as an 

23 ‘EBT card’) in accordance with subpara24 graph (C). 


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1 ‘‘(ii) Off-site consumption in accord2 ance with subparagraph (D). 

3 ‘‘(C) EBT CARD.— 

4 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not 

5 later than summer 2022, the Secretary 

6 shall make available an option to States to 

7 provide program meals under this section 

8 through the issuance to children of EBT 

9 cards. 

10 ‘‘(ii) AMOUNT.— 

11 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Subject to 

12 subclause (III), the value of an EBT 

13 card provided under this subpara14 graph to a child shall be $30 per 

15 month. 

16 ‘‘(II) ANNUAL LIMITATION.—No 

17 child shall receive benefits under this 

18 subparagraph in an amount greater 

19 than $100 in any summer period, as 

20 defined by the Secretary. 

21 ‘‘(III) ADJUSTMENT.—On Janu22 ary 1 of each year, the Secretary shall 

23 adjust the values described in sub24 clauses (I) and (II) by the same perVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:35 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1918.IS S1918

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1 centage as the adjustment made 

2 under subsection (b)(1)(B). 

3 ‘‘(iii) USE OF BENEFITS.— 

4 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—An EBT 

5 card issued under this subparagraph 

6 may be used only for the purchase of 

7 food from retail stores approved for 

8 participation in the supplemental nu9 trition assistance program established 

10 under the Food and Nutrition Act of 

11 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). 

12 ‘‘(II) BENEFIT REDEMPTION.—A 

13 retail store shall redeem EBT card 

14 benefits under this subparagraph in 

15 the same manner that benefits are re16 deemed under the supplemental nutri17 tion assistance program described in 

18 subclause (I). 

19 ‘‘(III) TIMING.—An EBT card 

20 issued under this subparagraph may 

21 be used by a child only when school is 

22 out of session for the summer period, 

23 as defined by the Secretary. 


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1 ‘‘(iv) ISSUANCE REQUIREMENTS.—In 

2 administering this subparagraph, the Sec3 retary shall ensure that an EBT card— 

4 ‘‘(I) is only issued to a child— 

5 ‘‘(aa) who lives— 

6 ‘‘(AA) in a rural area, 

7 as determined by the Sec8 retary; or 

9 ‘‘(BB) outside an area 

10 in which poor economic con11 ditions exist; 

12 ‘‘(bb) through an application 

13 process developed by the Sec14 retary; and 

15 ‘‘(cc) who has been deter16 mined to be eligible for a free or 

17 reduced price lunch under this 

18 Act and a free or reduced price 

19 breakfast under section 4 of the 

20 Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 

21 U.S.C. 1773); and 

22 ‘‘(II) is not issued to a child liv23 ing in an area in which a congregate 

24 feeding site is operating to prevent 

25 duplication in benefits. 


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1 ‘‘(D) OFF-SITE CONSUMPTION.— 

2 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not 

3 later than summer 2022, the Secretary 

4 shall make available an option to States to 

5 provide program meals under this section 

6 through service institutions that provide 

7 off-site consumption. 

8 ‘‘(ii) AVAILABILITY.—In admin9 istering this subparagraph, the Secretary 

10 shall ensure that off-site consumption is 

11 only available to a child if— 

12 ‘‘(I) the child is determined to be 

13 eligible for a free or reduced price 

14 lunch under this Act and a free or re15 duced price breakfast under section 4 

16 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 

17 (42 U.S.C. 1773); and 

18 ‘‘(II) not less than 1 of the con19 ditions described in clause (iii) is 

20 present. 

21 ‘‘(iii) CONDITIONS.—The conditions 

22 referred to in clause (ii)(II) are the fol23 lowing: 

24 ‘‘(I) The child lives in a rural 

25 area, as determined by the Secretary. 


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1 ‘‘(II) The child lives outside an 

2 area in which poor economic condi3 tions exist. 

4 ‘‘(III) The program is available 

5 to the child at a congregate feeding 

6 site but— 

7 ‘‘(aa) the site is closed due 

8 to extreme weather conditions; 

9 ‘‘(bb) violence or other pub10 lic safety concerns in the area 

11 prevent the child from traveling 

12 safely to the site; 

13 ‘‘(cc) the site is open not 

14 more than 4 days a week; or 

15 ‘‘(dd) the site provides only 

16 1 meal per day. 

17 ‘‘(iv) ADMINISTRATION.—In admin18 istering this subparagraph, the Secretary 

19 shall ensure that— 

20 ‘‘(I) in the case of off-site con21 sumption under the condition de22 scribed in clause (iii)(III)(cc), the 

23 number of reimbursable meals served 

24 to each child in a single meal service 

25 is not more than 2; 


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1 ‘‘(II) any meal served by a serv2 ice institution through off-site con3 sumption meets the same standards 

4 for safety and quality as a meal 

5 served at a congregate feeding site; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(III) each State gives priority to 

8 a child living in an area in which a 

9 congregate feeding site is not reason10 ably accessible, as determined by the 

11 Secretary. 

12 ‘‘(E) SCOPE.—Under this paragraph, a 

13 State— 

14 ‘‘(i) may implement an alternative op15 tion described in subparagraph (B) in any 

16 area described in subitem (AA) or (BB) of 

17 subparagraph (C)(iv)(I)(aa) in the State; 

18 but 

19 ‘‘(ii) shall not simultaneously imple20 ment both alternative options described in 

21 subparagraph (B) in the same area in the 

22 State. 

23 ‘‘(F) REGULATIONS.—Not later than Octo24 ber 1, 2021, the Secretary shall promulgate 


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1 regulations, with an opportunity for notice and 

2 comment— 

3 ‘‘(i) to ensure the integrity of the al4 ternative options for program delivery de5 scribed in subparagraph (B); and 

6 ‘‘(ii) to prevent duplication in benefits 

7 received under this paragraph.’’; and 

8 (2) in subsection (n)— 

9 (A) by striking ‘‘and (6)’’ and inserting 

10 ‘‘(6)’’; and 

11 (B) by striking the period at the end and 

12 inserting ‘‘; and (7) the plans of the State for 

13 using the alternative options for program deliv14 ery described in subsection (a)(13), if applica15 ble.’’. 

Æ 


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