111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5012 
AN ACT 
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
to establish a weekend and holiday feeding program to 
provide nutritious food to at-risk school children on week-
ends and during extended school holidays during the 
school year. 
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 ‘‘Weekends Without 
Hunger Act’’. 
SEC. 2. WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS WITHOUT HUNGER. 
Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(j) WEEKENDS
AND HOLIDAYS WITHOUT HUN-
GER.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) AT-RISK SCHOOL CHILD.—The term 
‘at-risk school child’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 17(r)(1). 
‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible 
institution’ means a public or private non-
profit institution that is determined by the 
Secretary to be able to meet safe food stor-
age, handling, and delivery standards es-
tablished by the Secretary. 
‘‘(ii) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘eligible 
institution’ includes— 
‘‘(I) an elementary or secondary 
school or school food service authority; 
‘‘(II) a food bank or food pantry; 
‘‘(III) a homeless shelter; and
‘‘(IV) such other type of emer-
gency feeding agency as is approved 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations provided in advance in an 
appropriations Act specifically for the purpose of 
carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall es-
tablish a program under which the Secretary shall 
provide commodities, on a competitive basis, to eligi-
ble institutions to provide nutritious food to at-risk 
children on weekends and during extended school 
holidays during the school year. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to re-
ceive commodities under this subsection, an eli-
gible institution shall submit an application to 
the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may determine. 
‘‘(B) PLAN.—An application under sub-
paragraph (A) shall include the plan of the eli-
gible institution for the distribution of nutri-
tious foods to at-risk school children, includ-
ing—
‘‘(i) methods of food service delivery 
to at-risk school children; 
‘‘(ii) assurances that children receiv-
ing foods under the project will not be pub-
licly separated or overtly identified; 
‘‘(iii) lists of the types of food to be 
provided under the project and provisions 
to ensure food quality and safety; 
‘‘(iv) information on the number of 
at-risk school children to be served and the 
per-child cost of providing the children 
with food; and 
‘‘(v) such other information as the 
Secretary determines to be necessary to as-
sist the Secretary in evaluating projects 
that receive commodities under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—In selecting applications under 
this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to 
eligible institutions that— 
‘‘(A) have on-going programs and experi-
ence serving populations with significant pro-
portions of at-risk school children; 
‘‘(B) have a good record of experience in 
food delivery and food safety systems;
‘‘(C) maintain high quality control, ac-
countability, and recordkeeping standards; 
‘‘(D) 
provide 
children 
with 
readily 
consumable food of high nutrient content and 
quality; 
‘‘(E) demonstrate cost efficiencies and the 
potential for obtaining supplemental funding 
from non-Federal sources to carry out projects; 
and 
‘‘(F) demonstrate the ability to continue 
projects for the full approved term of the pilot 
project period. 
‘‘(5) GUIDELINES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
issue guidelines containing the criteria for 
projects to receive commodities under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The guidelines shall, 
to the maximum extent practicable within the 
funds available and applications submitted, take 
into account— 
‘‘(i) geographical variations in project 
locations to include qualifying projects in 
rural, urban, and suburban areas with high