I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7887 
To reimburse school food authorities at the free rate for meals served during 
school year 2020–2021 under the school breakfast program and the 
school lunch program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2020 
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia (for himself, Ms. OMAR, Ms. FUDGE, Ms. BONAMICI, 
Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. RYAN, Mrs. DAVIS of California, 
Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. MORELLE, Ms. WILD, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. 
DESAULNIER, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. ADAMS, Mrs. HAYES, and 
Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To reimburse school food authorities at the free rate for 
meals served during school year 2020–2021 under the 
school breakfast program and the school lunch program, 
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 Child Hun-
ger Prevention Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT FOR MEALS SERVED DURING 
SCHOOL YEAR 2020–2021. 
(a) PROVISIONS RELATING TO SCHOOL YEAR 2020– 
2021.— 
(1) REIMBURSEMENTS DURING SCHOOL YEAR 
2020–2021.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, during school year 2020–2021, in making reim-
bursements to a State— 
(A) for lunches served by school food au-
thorities in such State under the school lunch 
program under the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), the 
Secretary shall reimburse such State at the free 
lunch rate; and 
(B) for breakfasts served by school food 
authorities in such State under the school 
breakfast program under section 4 of the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773), the 
Secretary shall reimburse such State at the free 
breakfast rate. 
(2) PARTICIPATION IN MEAL PROGRAMS DUR-
ING SCHOOL YEAR 2020–2021.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, during school year 2020– 
2021, all children enrolled in a school that partici-
pates— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(A) in the school lunch program under the 
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) shall be eligible (with-
out application) to receive free lunch under 
such Act; and 
(B) in the school breakfast program under 
section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
(42 U.S.C. 1773) shall be eligible (without ap-
plication) to receive free breakfast under such 
section. 
(3) ONE-TIME ELECTION TO EXCLUDE SCHOOL 
YEAR 2020–2021.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, a local educational agency may make a 
one-time election to exclude school year 2020–2021 
from the 4-year period during which such local edu-
cational agency elects to receive payments under 
subparagraphs (C), (E), or (F) of section 11(a)(1) 
of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)). 
(b) PROVISIONS RELATING TO SCHOOL YEAR 2021– 
2022.— 
(1) CALCULATION
OF
IDENTIFIED
STUDENTS 
FOR
SCHOOL
YEAR
2021–2022.—For school year 
2021–2022, in determining the percentage of identi-
fied students under section 11(a)(1)(F) of the Rich-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
ard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)(F)), local educational agencies 
and States— 
(A) shall certify students in accordance 
with paragraphs (4), (5), (6), and (15) of sec-
tion 9(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)) not 
later than April 1, 2021; and 
(B) notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, may use the percentage of identified stu-
dents— 
(i) as of August 31, 2020; or 
(ii) as of August 31, 2021. 
(2) SELECTION
OF
SCHOOLS
UNDER
FRESH 
FRUIT
AND
VEGETABLE
PROGRAM
FOR
SCHOOL 
YEAR 2021–2022.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, for purposes of participating in the pro-
gram under section 19 of the Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769a) dur-
ing school year 2021–2022, each State shall use the 
percentage of identified students for such school 
year determined in accordance with paragraph (1) to 
determine which schools meet the requirements of 
subsection (d)(1)(A)(i) of such section 19 (42 U.S.C. 
1769a(d)(1)(A)(i)). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(3) PAID
LUNCH
CALCULATION
FOR
SCHOOL 
YEAR 2021–2022.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, for purposes of establishing a price for 
paid lunches under section 12(p) of the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1760(p)) for school year 2021–2022— 
(A) school year 2020–2021 shall not apply 
as the previous school year; and 
(B) school year 2019–2020 shall apply as 
the previous school year. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) FREE BREAKFAST RATE.—The term ‘‘free 
breakfast rate’’ means the amount equal to— 
(A) the national average breakfast pay-
ment 
for 
free 
breakfast 
under 
section 
4(b)(1)(B) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
(42 U.S.C. 1773(b)(1)(B)) (as adjusted pursu-
ant to section 11(a) of the Richard B. Russell 
National 
School 
Lunch 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1759a(a))), plus 
(B) in the case of a school food authority 
that meets the requirements for severe need 
under section 4(b)(2) of the Child Nutrition Act 
of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(b)(2)), the additional 
payment amount specified under such section 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(as adjusted pursuant to section 11(a) of the 
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1759a(a))), plus 
(C) the additional amount under section 
4(b)(3) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1773(b)(3)). 
(2) FREE LUNCH RATE.—The term ‘‘free lunch 
rate’’ means the amount equal to— 
(A) the national average lunch rate under 
section 4(b)(2) of the Richard B. Russell Na-
tional 
School 
Lunch 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1753(b)(2)) (as adjusted pursuant to section 
11(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a))), plus 
(B) in the case of a school food authority 
in which 60 percent or more of the lunches 
served in the school lunch program during the 
second preceding school year were served free 
or at a reduced price, the additional payment 
amount specified under section 4(b)(2) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1753(b)(2)), plus 
(C) in the case of a school food authority 
that is determined eligible under subparagraph 
(D) of section 4(b)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1753(b)(3)), the additional payment amount 
specified in subparagraph (C)(i) of such section 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(as adjusted pursuant to section 11(a) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a))), plus 
(D) the applicable special assistance factor 
under section 11(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1759a(a)(2)) (as adjusted pursuant to section 
11(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a))). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY UNDER OTHER CHILD NUTRITION 
PROGRAMS DURING SCHOOL YEAR 2020–2021. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, during school year 2020–2021, each child en-
rolled in a school that participates in the school lunch pro-
gram under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) or in the school breakfast 
program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) shall be treated under a qualified 
child nutrition program as a child certified eligible (with-
out application) for free school meals. 
(b) QUALIFIED CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘qualified child nutri-
tion program’’ means— 
(1) the summer food service program for chil-
dren under section 13(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Richard B. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1761(a)(1)(A)(i)); 
(2) the program for at-risk school children 
under section 17(r) of the Richard B. Russell Na-
tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766(r)); and 
(3) the meal supplements for children in after-
school care program under section 17A of the Rich-
ard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
U.S.C. 1766a). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:39 Aug 22, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H7887.IH
H7887
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS