I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6200 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide certain food assistance 
for eligible children during periods when their schools are closed due 
to a public health emergency; and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2020 
Ms. FUDGE (for herself and Mr. SCOTT of Virginia) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition 
to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide certain 
food assistance for eligible children during periods when 
their schools are closed due to a public health emergency; 
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 ‘‘Pandemic EBT Act 
of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ASSISTANCE DUR-
ING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. 
(a) PANDEMIC EMERGENCY.—During fiscal year 
2020, in any case in which a school is closed for at least 
5 consecutive days during a public health emergency des-
ignation during which the school would otherwise be in 
session, each household containing at least 1 member who 
is an eligible child attending the school shall be eligible 
to receive assistance pursuant to a State agency plan ap-
proved under subsection (b) 
(b) ASSISTANCE.—To carry out this section, the Sec-
retary of Agriculture may approve State agency plans for 
temporary emergency standards of eligibility and levels of 
benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) for households with eligible children. 
Plans approved by the Secretary may provide for supple-
mental allotments to households receiving benefits under 
such Act, and issuances to households not already receiv-
ing benefits. Such level of benefits shall be determined by 
the Secretary in an amount not less than the value of 
meals at the free rate over the course of 5 school days 
for each eligible child in the household. 
(c) MINIMUM CLOSURE REQUIREMENT.—The Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall not provide assistance under 
this section in the case of a school that is closed for less 
than 5 consecutive days. 
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(d) USE OF EBT SYSTEM.—A State agency may pro-
vide assistance under this section through the EBT card 
system established under section 7 of the Food and Nutri-
tion Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016). 
(e) RELEASE
OF INFORMATION.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture 
may authorize State educational agencies and school food 
authorities administering a school lunch program under 
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) to release to appropriate officials ad-
ministering the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
such information as may be necessary to carry out this 
section. 
(f) WAIVERS.—To facilitate implementation of this 
section, the Secretary of Agriculture may approve waivers 
of the limits on certification periods otherwise applicable 
under section 3(f) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2012(f)), reporting requirements otherwise ap-
plicable under section 6(c) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2015(c)), 
and other administrative requirements otherwise applica-
ble to State agencies under such Act. 
(g) FUNDING.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
use funds made available under the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) to fund, with the 
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exception of the commodities described in subsection (h), 
benefits provided under this section. 
(h) AVAILABILITY OF COMMODITIES.—During fiscal 
year 2020, the Secretary of Agriculture may utilize funds 
appropriated under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 
1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c), to purchase commodities for emer-
gency distribution in any area of the United States during 
a public health emergency designation. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘eligible child’’ means a child (as 
defined in section 12(d), or served under section 
11(a)(1), of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(d), 1759(a)(1)) who, if 
not for the closure of the school attended by the 
child during a public health emergency designation 
and due to concerns about a novel coronavirus out-
break, would receive free or reduced price school 
meals under the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 175l et seq.) at the school. 
(2) The term ‘‘public health emergency designa-
tion’’ means the declaration— 
(A) of a public health emergency, based on 
an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 
(COVID-19), by the Secretary of Health and 
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