I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2494 
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 to improve nutrition in tribal areas, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 2, 2019 
Ms. HAALAND (for herself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. LUJA´N, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. 
MOORE, Ms. BASS, Mr. KILMER, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. CASE, and Mr. 
MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to improve 
nutrition in tribal areas, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tribal Nutrition Im-
provement Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL MEAL SERVICE IN NATIVE AMERICAN 
AREAS. 
Section 11 of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a) is amended by inserting 
after subsection (e) the following: 
‘‘(f) UNIVERSAL MEAL SERVICE IN NATIVE AMER-
ICAN AREAS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall iden-
tify, for optional use in local educational agencies on 
or near Indian reservations, alternatives to— 
‘‘(A) the daily counting by category of 
meals provided by school lunch programs under 
this Act and the school breakfast program es-
tablished by section 4 of the Child Nutrition 
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773); 
‘‘(B) the use of annual applications as the 
basis for eligibility to receive free meals or re-
duced price meals under this Act; and 
‘‘(C) the use of universal meal service de-
scribed in subsections (a)(1)(F) and (g). 
‘‘(2) USE OF ALTERNATIVES.—Alternatives de-
scribed in paragraph (1) may be— 
‘‘(A) implemented for use in schools or by 
school food authorities that agree— 
‘‘(i) to serve all breakfasts and 
lunches to all students at no cost; 
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‘‘(ii) to pay, from sources other than 
Federal funds, the costs of serving any 
lunches and breakfasts that are in excess 
of the value of assistance received under 
this Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
(42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), as determined by 
the Secretary, with respect to the number 
of lunches and breakfasts served during 
the applicable period; and 
‘‘(iii) not to collect applications for 
free or reduced price meals; or 
‘‘(B) further tested through demonstration 
projects carried out by the Secretary in accord-
ance with paragraph (3). 
‘‘(3) DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out demonstration projects de-
scribed in paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary may 
waive any requirement of this Act relating to— 
‘‘(A) counting and claiming of meals pro-
vided by school lunch or breakfast programs; 
and 
‘‘(B) determinations of eligibility for free 
or reduced priced meals.’’. 
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SEC. 3. SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM AND CHILD AND ADULT 
CARE FOOD PROGRAM. 
Section 12(d) of the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(d)) is amended by 
striking paragraph (8) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(8) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means— 
‘‘(A) any of the 50 States; 
‘‘(B) the District of Columbia; 
‘‘(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
‘‘(D) the Virgin Islands; 
‘‘(E) Guam; 
‘‘(F) American Samoa; 
‘‘(G) the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands; or 
‘‘(H) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)).’’. 
SEC. 4. SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN. 
Section 13(a)(1)(E) of the Richard B. Russell Na-
tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)(1)(E)) is 
amended— 
(1) in clause (vi), by striking ‘‘and’’; 
(2) in clause (vii), by striking the period and in-
serting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(viii) an Indian tribe (as defined in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
5304)).’’. 
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE AND START UP FUNDS. 
Section 7(c) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1776(c)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(c) If any State agency’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(c) ADJUSTMENT IN ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) ADMINISTRATION BY A STATE AGENCY.— 
If any State agency’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATION BY AN INDIAN TRIBE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—If an Indian tribe 
agrees to assume responsibility for the adminis-
tration of the school breakfast program under 
section 4 or the school lunch program, summer 
food service program for children, or child and 
adult care food program established under the 
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), the Secretary shall 
make an appropriate adjustment in the admin-
istrative funds paid under this section to the 
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Indian tribe not later than the preceding fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(B) START UP FUNDS.—The adjustment 
in administrative funds described in subpara-
graph (A) shall consist of an amount for start 
up funds, negotiated with the Indian tribe, of 
not less than $10,000 nor more than $100,000 
for each fiscal year.’’. 
SEC. 6. SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM. 
Section 15 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1784) is amended by striking paragraph (1) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) STATE.—The term ‘State’ means— 
‘‘(A) any of the 50 States; 
‘‘(B) the District of Columbia; 
‘‘(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
‘‘(D) the Virgin Islands; 
‘‘(E) Guam; 
‘‘(F) American Samoa; 
‘‘(G) the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands; or 
‘‘(H) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)).’’. 
Æ 
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