I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7027 

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

program requirements, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 9, 2022 

Mrs. HAYES (for herself, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. ADAMS, and Mr. 

MORELLE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

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 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL MEDICAID DIRECT CERTIFICATION. 

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

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

9 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 


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

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(i) ELIGIBLE CHILD.— 

4 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘el5 igible child’ means a child who— 

6 ‘‘(aa)(AA) is eligible for and 

7 receiving medical assistance 

8 under the Medicaid program; and 

9 ‘‘(BB) is a member of a 

10 family with an income as meas11 ured by the Medicaid program 

12 that does not exceed, in the case 

13 of eligibility for free meals, 133 

14 percent of the poverty line (as 

15 defined in section 673(2) of the 

16 Community Services Block Grant 

17 Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)), includ18 ing any revision required by such 

19 section) applicable to a family of 

20 the size used for purposes of de21 termining eligibility for the Med22 icaid program, or, in the case of 

23 eligibility for reduced price meals, 

24 the applicable family size income 

25 level under the income eligibility 


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1 guidelines for reduced price 

2 meals; or 

3 ‘‘(bb) is a member of a 

4 household (as that term is de5 fined in section 245.2 of title 7, 

6 Code of Federal Regulations (or 

7 a successor regulation)) with a 

8 child described in item (aa). 

9 ‘‘(II) OTHER CHILDREN.—The 

10 term ‘eligible child’ includes a child 

11 who is eligible for and receiving med12 ical assistance under the Medicaid 

13 program under subclause (I) of sec14 tion 1902(a)(10)(A)(i) of the Social 

15 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

16 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i))— 

17 ‘‘(aa) on the basis of receiv18 ing aid or assistance under the 

19 State plan approved under part 

20 E of title IV of that Act (42 

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

22 ‘‘(bb) by reason of section 

23 473(b) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 

24 673(b)); or 


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1 ‘‘(cc) under subclause (II) of 

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

3 Act (42 U.S.C. 

4 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i)).’’; and 

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

6 ‘‘(iii) WITHOUT FURTHER APPLICA7 TION.—The term ‘without further applica8 tion’ has the meaning given the term in 

9 paragraph (4)(G).’’; and 

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

11 and inserting the following: 

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

13 beginning on July 1, 2022, and each school 

14 year thereafter, each State shall enter into an 

15 agreement described in subparagraph (C) with 

16 the 1 or more State agencies conducting eligi17 bility determinations for the Medicaid program. 

18 ‘‘(C) PROCEDURES.— 

19 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to sub20 paragraph (D) and paragraph (6), an 

21 agreement entered into under subpara22 graph (B) shall establish procedures under 

23 which an eligible child shall be certified as 

24 eligible, without further application, for— 


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1 ‘‘(I) free or reduced price lunch 

2 under this Act; and 

3 ‘‘(II) free or reduced price break4 fast under section 4 of the Child Nu5 trition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773). 

6 ‘‘(ii) FREE MEALS.—Each agreement 

7 entered into under subparagraph (B) shall 

8 ensure that a child who is simultaneously 

9 eligible for reduced price meals under this 

10 paragraph or based on an income eligibility 

11 determination, and for free meals based on 

12 documentation provided under subsection 

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

14 ‘‘(D) CERTIFICATION.—Subject to para15 graph (6), and according to an agreement en16 tered into under subparagraph (B), the local 

17 educational agency conducting eligibility deter18 minations under that agreement shall certify an 

19 eligible child as eligible, without further applica20 tion, for— 

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

22 this Act; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) free or reduced price breakfast 

24 under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act 

25 of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. DIRECT CERTIFICATION FOR CHILDREN RECEIVING 

2 SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME. 

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

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

5 1758(b)(5)) is amended— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘(2));’’ 

7 and inserting ‘‘(2)));’’; 

8 (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 

9 the end; 

10 (3) in subparagraph (E)(ii), by striking the pe11 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

12 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(F) a child who receives supplemental se14 curity income payments under title XVI of the 

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

16 (b) DATA FROM SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRA17 TION.—Section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National 

18 School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)) is amended by add19 ing at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(16) DATA FROM SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINIS21 TRATION.—In the case of direct certification under 

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

23 supplemental security income payments under title 

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

25 seq.), the Commissioner of Social Security shall pro26 vide a local educational agency with the data necVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:36 Mar 13, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7027.IH H7027

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1 essary to certify the child in accordance with a data2 sharing agreement between the Commissioner and 

3 the State in which the local educational agency is lo4 cated.’’. 

Æ 


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