SEC. 2. SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER FOR 
CHILDREN PROGRAM. 
Section 13(a) of the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(13) SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANS-
FER FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) 
ELIGIBLE
HOUSEHOLD.—The 
term ‘eligible household’ means a house-
hold that includes 1 or more children who 
are eligible to receive free or reduced-price 
lunches under this Act or free or reduced- 
price breakfasts under the Child Nutrition 
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.). 
‘‘(ii) SUMMER EBT CARD.—The term 
‘summer EBT card’ means an electronic 
benefit transfer card that is issued to an 
eligible household under this paragraph 
and limited to food purchases. 
‘‘(B) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish a program under which the Secretary 
shall provide to eligible households summer 
EBT cards for the purpose of providing access 
to food for children during summer months— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:37 Aug 07, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6516.IH
H6516
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) to reduce or eliminate the food in-
security and hunger of children; and 
‘‘(ii) to improve the nutritional status 
of children. 
‘‘(C) USE.—An eligible household may use 
a summer EBT card only to purchase food 
from retail food stores that have been approved 
for participation in the supplemental nutrition 
assistance program established under the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
seq.), in accordance with section 7(b) of that 
Act (7 U.S.C. 2016(b)). 
‘‘(D) AMOUNT.—Each summer EBT card 
issued shall be in an amount of— 
‘‘(i) for calendar year 2019, $150 in 
food assistance per child per summer; and 
‘‘(ii) for each subsequent calendar 
year, the amount specified in clause (i) as 
adjusted to reflect changes in reimburse-
ment rates for school meals under this Act 
between calendar year 2019 and the most 
recent calendar year. 
‘‘(E) TIMING.—Summer EBT cards shall 
be issued at the end of the regular school year. 
‘‘(F) FUNDING.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:37 Aug 07, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6516.IH
H6516
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—On October 1, 
2018, and on each October 1 thereafter, 
out of any funds in the Treasury not oth-
erwise appropriated, the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary 
such sums as are necessary to carry out 
this section, to remain available until ex-
pended. 
‘‘(ii) RECEIPT
AND
ACCEPTANCE.— 
The Secretary shall be entitled to receive, 
shall accept, and shall use to carry out this 
section the funds transferred under clause 
(i), without further appropriation. 
‘‘(G) REGULATIONS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than Oc-
tober 1, 2018, the Secretary shall issue 
regulations to carry out this paragraph. 
‘‘(ii) 
REQUIREMENTS.—Regulations 
issued under this subparagraph shall re-
quire that— 
‘‘(I) children shall be eligible to 
participate and shall be enrolled into 
the program under this paragraph for 
a summer without further application 
if the children are enrolled to partici-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:37 Aug 07, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6516.IH
H6516
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
pate in the free or reduced-price lunch 
program under this Act or the free or 
reduced-price 
breakfast 
program 
under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
(42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) during the 
school year immediately preceding the 
summer; and 
‘‘(II) local educational agencies 
shall distribute to the families of all 
children enrolled in schools partici-
pating in programs authorized under 
this Act and the Child Nutrition Act 
of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) and, 
to the maximum extent practicable, 
the families of all children enrolled in 
schools of the local educational agency 
information, as provided by the Sec-
retary— 
‘‘(aa) regarding the program 
authorized under this paragraph, 
including eligibility rules and how 
children in eligible households 
that are not automatically en-
rolled under subclause (I) may 
apply for program benefits; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:37 Aug 07, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6516.IH
H6516
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(bb) to assist households 
receiving summer EBT cards in 
making healthy food choices and 
maximizing resources. 
‘‘(iii) ALTERNATIVE TIMING.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—In issuing 
regulations under this subparagraph, 
the Secretary shall allow alternative 
plans for the timing of issuance of the 
summer electronic benefit cards under 
subparagraph (D) in any part of a 
State in which the school year does 
not include a typical summer break, 
on the condition that the Secretary 
determines that no alternative plan in-
creases or decreases Federal costs. 
‘‘(II) CONSIDERATIONS.—In de-
veloping regulations under subclause 
(I), the Secretary shall consider the 
ability of a State effectively to issue 
benefits under an alternative sched-
ule.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:37 Aug 07, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6516.IH
H6516
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS