I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5003 
To reauthorize child nutrition programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2016 
Mr. ROKITA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on 
the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reauthorize child nutrition programs, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definition of Secretary. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH ACT 
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Sec. 100. Authorized State agency. 
Sec. 101. Apportionments to States. 
Sec. 102. Repeal of nutrition promotion. 
Sec. 103. Direct Federal expenditures. 
Sec. 104. Nutritional and other program requirements. 
Sec. 105. Miscellaneous provisions. 
Sec. 106. Summer food service program for children. 
Sec. 107. Commodity distribution program. 
Sec. 108. Child and adult care food program. 
Sec. 109. Demonstration projects. 
Sec. 110. Fruit and vegetable program. 
Sec. 111. Compliance and accountability. 
Sec. 112. Repeal of State childhood hunger challenge grants. 
Sec. 113. Duties of the Secretary relating to nonprocurement debarment. 
Sec. 114. Improvements to school lunch facilities. 
Sec. 115. Prohibitions. 
TITLE II—CHILD NUTRITION ACT 
Sec. 201. Special milk program authorization. 
Sec. 202. School breakfast program. 
Sec. 203. State administrative expenses. 
Sec. 204. Regulations. 
Sec. 205. Definition of authorized State agency. 
Sec. 206. Special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and chil-
dren. 
Sec. 207. Team nutrition network. 
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS 
Sec. 301. Reviews. 
Sec. 302. Program delivery. 
Sec. 303. Product availability. 
Sec. 304. Procurement. 
Sec. 305. School Nutrition Advisory Committee. 
Sec. 306. Paperwork reduction. 
Sec. 307. Technology. 
Sec. 308. Technical corrections. 
Sec. 309. Budgetary effects. 
Sec. 310. Effective date. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec-
retary of Agriculture. 
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TITLE I—NATIONAL SCHOOL 
LUNCH ACT 
SEC. 100. AUTHORIZED STATE AGENCY. 
In each of the following Acts, strike ‘‘State Edu-
cational Agency’’ each place such term appears and insert 
‘‘authorized State agency’’: 
(1) The Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.). 
(2) The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
1771 et seq.). 
SEC. 101. APPORTIONMENTS TO STATES. 
Section 4(b) of the Richard B. Russell National 
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘Be-
ginning on’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the 
Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘Be-
ginning on’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘school food authorities’’ and inserting ‘‘School 
food authorities’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (F)— 
(i) in clause (iii)(I), by inserting ‘‘(as 
in effect on the day before the date of the 
enactment of the Improving Child Nutri-
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tion and Education Act of 2016)’’ after 
‘‘subparagraph (A)(i)’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(III) SUNSET.—The Secretary shall 
return to the general fund of the Treasury 
any funds that were made available under 
this subparagraph but not obligated by a 
State agency as of September 30, 2016.’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) ANNOUNCEMENTS.—With respect to reim-
bursement rates described in this subsection, the 
Secretary shall announce the rates and, to the max-
imum extent practicable, any associated guidance by 
February 15 of the school year prior to the school 
year for which the rates and guidance will become 
effective.’’. 
SEC. 102. REPEAL OF NUTRITION PROMOTION. 
Section 5 of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1754) is repealed. 
SEC. 103. DIRECT FEDERAL EXPENDITURES. 
Section 6 of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘(c)(1)(A) The national av-
erage’’ and all that follows through ‘‘(D) 
Among those commodities’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(c) CALCULATION OF TOTAL ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) NATIONAL AVERAGE VALUE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graphs (B) and (C), the national average value 
of donated foods, or cash payments in lieu 
thereof, shall be equal to the quotient obtained 
by dividing, not later than February 15 of each 
year for the upcoming school year— 
‘‘(i) the total funds available in the 
preceding school year under section 4, this 
section, and section 11; by 
‘‘(ii) the number of lunches served in 
the preceding school year in all schools 
participating in the school lunch program 
under this Act. 
‘‘(B) ADJUSTMENT.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The value deter-
mined under subparagraph (A) shall be ad-
justed by the annual percentage change in 
a 3-month average value of the Producer 
Price Index for Foods Used in Schools and 
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Institutions of the Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics (in this subparagraph referred to as 
the ‘Index’) for the preceding September, 
October, and November. 
‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENT.—An adjustment 
under clause (i) shall be computed to the 
nearest 1⁄4 cent. 
‘‘(iii) INDEX.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—The Index 
shall be computed using 5 major food 
components in the Index (cereal and 
bakery products, meats, poultry and 
fish, dairy products, processed fruits 
and vegetables, and fats and oils). 
‘‘(II) COMPONENTS.—Each com-
ponent described in subclause (I) shall 
be weighted using the same relative 
weight as determined by the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics. 
‘‘(iv) MINIMUM
AMOUNT
OF
COM-
MODITY
ASSISTANCE.—Not less than 12 
percent of the value adjusted in accordance 
with this subparagraph shall be provided in 
the form of commodity assistance. 
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‘‘(C) 
INSUFFICIENT
AMOUNTS.—If 
amounts available to carry out section 4, this 
section, and section 11 are insufficient to meet 
the requirements of such sections for a school 
year, the Secretary shall, to the extent nec-
essary, use the authority provided under section 
14(a) to meet the requirements for the school 
year. 
‘‘(D) AMOUNT
FOR
EACH
STATE.—For 
each school year, the total commodity assist-
ance or cash in lieu thereof available to a State 
for the school lunch program shall be equal to 
the product obtained by multiplying— 
‘‘(i) the number of lunches served in 
such State in the most recent school year 
for which data are available; by 
‘‘(ii) the rate determined under sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B). 
‘‘(E) SPECIAL
EMPHASIS.—Among those 
commodities’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(E) 
Notwithstanding’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(F) MINIMUM
QUANTITY
OF
DONATED 
FOODS.—Notwithstanding’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (e); and 
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(3) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub-
section (e). 
SEC. 104. NUTRITIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAM REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
Section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758) is amended— 
(1) by striking the section heading and designa-
tion and all that follows through the end of para-
graph (1) in subsection (a) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 9. NUTRITIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAM REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.— 
The Secretary shall provide— 
‘‘(A) technical assistance and training to 
schools participating in the school lunch pro-
gram to assist the schools in complying with the 
nutritional requirements prescribed by the Sec-
retary pursuant to subsection (f) and in pro-
viding appropriate meals to children with medi-
cally certified special dietary needs, including 
food allergies or other special dietary needs of 
individual children, including religious dietary 
restrictions; and 
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‘‘(B) additional technical assistance to 
schools that are having difficulty maintaining 
compliance with the requirements.’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(D) FLUID
MILK
CONSIDERATIONS.—In 
determining varieties of fluid milk that shall be 
available with school meals programs under this 
Act and section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) and outside of the 
school meal programs, the Secretary, not later 
than 90 days after the date of enactment of the 
Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act 
of 2016, shall carry out the following: 
‘‘(i) Consider the critical nutrient 
needs of children who may be at risk for 
inadequate intake of the recommended 
daily servings of milk and dairy products 
under the most recent Dietary Guidelines 
described in subparagraph (A)(i) and con-
form the applicable regulations to such 
guidelines. 
‘‘(ii) Analyze milk consumption data 
and trends for school-aged children, and to 
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the extent practicable, increase actual milk 
consumption in schools in a manner con-
sistent with the number of servings rec-
ommended under such Dietary Guidelines, 
and ensure that schools may offer any type 
of milk, including milk with fat levels that 
are in compliance with such Dietary Guide-
lines. 
‘‘(E) MILK VARIETY CONSIDERATIONS.—In 
determining milk varieties eligible for schools to 
offer, the Secretary shall consider the most 
commonly available types, sizes, containers, and 
varieties of milk in local, regional, and national 
markets to promote competition and reduce 
milk waste.’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘(4) PROVISION OF INFOR-
MATION’’ and all that follows through ‘‘(C) 
PROCUREMENT
AND
PROCESSING
OF
FOOD 
SERVICE
PRODUCTS
AND
COMMODITIES.—The 
Secretary’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(4) PROCUREMENT AND PROCESSING OF FOOD 
SERVICE PRODUCTS AND COMMODITIES.—The Sec-
retary’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4) (as so designated)— 
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(i) 
by 
redesignating 
clauses 
(i) 
through (iii) as subparagraphs (A) through 
(C), respectively, and indenting appro-
priately; and 
(ii) by redesignating subclauses (I) 
and (II) as clauses (i) and (ii), respec-
tively, and indenting appropriately; 
(3) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2)(B)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘, and 
shall contain only the family size income 
levels for reduced price meal eligibility with 
the explanation that households with in-
comes less than or equal to these values 
would be eligible for free or reduced price 
lunches’’; 
(ii) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘or re-
duced price’’ after ‘‘free’’; 
(iii) in clause (iii)(I)— 
(I) in item (aa), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(II) in item (bb), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
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(III) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(cc) individuals may report 
alleged fraud to the Office of the 
Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture.’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv) REPORTING
OF
FRAUD.—The 
Secretary shall ensure that the Internet 
website of the Department of Agriculture 
prominently displays a link to the Internet 
website of the Office of the Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department and the phone 
number of the Office of the Inspector Gen-
eral through which an individual may re-
port any alleged fraud. 
‘‘(v) APPLICATION FORMS.—Not later 
than 120 days after the date of the enact-
ment of the Improving Child Nutrition and 
Education Act of 2016, the Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(I) review the most current ap-
plication forms, including paper and 
digital, used to apply for participation 
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in the school lunch program author-
ized under this Act and the school 
breakfast program established by sec-
tion 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773); 
‘‘(II) provide to States guidance 
relating to best practices, including at 
a minimum a standard application 
form for use by local educational 
agencies or schools; 
‘‘(III) provide to States guidance 
relating to how to improve the appli-
cation to ensure families understand 
and can enroll in the school lunch pro-
gram and the school breakfast pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(IV) provide to States such in-
formation as is necessary to ensure 
that States understand school food 
authorities may not— 
‘‘(aa) require or mandate 
families apply for either program; 
‘‘(bb) request that a family 
apply for the program after the 
parent or guardian has informed 
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the school that the family does 
not want to participate in the 
program or receive additional in-
formation about the program in 
that school year; or 
‘‘(cc) in the case of a family 
that has not informed the school 
about their choice, request more 
than twice in that school year 
that such family apply for the 
program if such family has not 
submitted an application, except 
that providing information about 
the application (including how 
and when the application will be 
sent to parents and how to fill 
out the application) shall not 
count as a request to apply.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking subparagraph (D) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(D) VERIFICATION.— 
‘‘(i) STANDARD VERIFICATION OF AP-
PLICATIONS.— 
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‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—Beginning 
with the second school year that be-
gins after the date of the enactment 
of the Improving Child Nutrition and 
Education Act of 2016, each school 
year, each local educational agency 
shall verify the eligibility of the chil-
dren in a portion of the household ap-
plications approved for the school year 
by the local educational agency, as of 
November 1 of the school year, as de-
termined by the Secretary in accord-
ance with this subsection. 
‘‘(II) SAMPLE SIZE.— 
‘‘(aa) IN
GENERAL.—The 
portion for a local educational 
agency for a school year shall 
equal the lesser of— 
‘‘(AA) 10,000; or 
‘‘(BB) 10 percent of 
approved household applica-
tions. 
‘‘(bb) 
CALCULATION.—Not 
later than July 1 of each year, 
the Secretary shall calculate the 
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sample size under this subpara-
graph for each local educational 
agency based on data from the 2 
most recent school years avail-
able. 
‘‘(III) SAMPLE SELECTION.—Ap-
plications 
shall 
be 
selected 
for 
verification by the local educational 
agency based on indications that in-
formation relevant to eligibility is in-
consistent with the information pro-
vided on the application, including at 
a minimum the following: 
‘‘(aa) The household has 
submitted information in writing 
to the local educational agency 
that is inconsistent with the in-
formation on the application. 
‘‘(bb) The information pro-
vided on the application is con-
sistent with a pattern of error or 
fraud detected by the local edu-
cational agency, the State agen-
cy, or the Secretary. 
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‘‘(cc) For not more than 1⁄4 
of the sample, students who are 
directly certified or the applica-
tion provides a case number (in 
lieu of income information) show-
ing participation in— 
‘‘(AA) the supplemental 
nutrition assistance program 
established under the Food 
and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); or 
‘‘(BB) a State program 
funded under the program 
of block grants to States for 
temporary 
assistance 
for 
needy families established 
under part A of title IV of 
the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) that the 
Secretary determines com-
plies with standards estab-
lished by the Secretary that 
ensure that the eligibility re-
quirements under the State 
program are comparable to 
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the requirements for partici-
pation in accordance with 
this Act and the Child Nu-
trition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1771 et seq.). 
‘‘(dd) For not more than 1⁄4 
of the sample, the income infor-
mation provided on the applica-
tion is close to the income limit 
for free or reduced price meals, 
as determined by the local edu-
cational agency each year. 
‘‘(ee) Such other criteria as 
is determined by the State. 
‘‘(IV) ADDITIONAL VERIFICATION 
OF APPLICATIONS.—If the number of 
applications that match the criteria 
described in subclause (III) is insuffi-
cient to meet the number of applica-
tions determined under subclause (II), 
the local educational agency shall se-
lect additional applications at random. 
‘‘(ii) VERIFICATION FOR CAUSE.—In 
addition to conducting verification of a 
sample of applications as described in 
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clause (i), a local educational agency may 
verify any household application at any 
point in the school year if the household 
application meets the criteria described in 
item (aa), (bb), or (cc) of clause (i)(III) or 
such other criteria as is determined by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(iii) COMPLIANCE.—In conducting 
verification under this subparagraph, a 
State agency or local educational agency 
shall not select applications in a manner 
that violates section 12(l)(4)(M).’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (F)— 
(I) in clause (i), in the matter 
preceding subclause (I), by striking 
‘‘may’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’; and 
(II) by striking clauses (iv) and 
(v) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(iv) DIRECT CERTIFICATION.—If eli-
gibility for a household application is con-
firmed using direct verification, each child 
in the household shall be considered di-
rectly certified.’’; 
(iii) in subparagraph (G)— 
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(I) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘1 
attempt’’ and inserting ‘‘2 attempts’’; 
and 
(II) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(v) VALIDITY OF VERIFICATION RE-
SULTS.— 
‘‘(I) 
DEFINITIONS.—In 
this 
clause: 
‘‘(aa) APPROVED
APPLICA-
TION.—The term ‘approved ap-
plication’ includes each student 
on a paper or electronic applica-
tion approved by the local edu-
cational agency for free or re-
duced price lunches for the school 
year. 
‘‘(bb) RESPONSE
RATE.— 
The term ‘response rate’ means 
the percentage of the approved 
household applications of the 
local 
educational 
agency 
for 
which 
verification 
information 
was obtained after attempted 
verification under this section. 
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‘‘(cc) 
NONRESPONSE 
RATE.—The term ‘nonresponse 
rate’ means the percentage of the 
approved household applications 
of the local educational agency 
for which verification information 
was not obtained after attempted 
verification under this section. 
‘‘(dd) 
CONFIRMATION 
RATE.—The term ‘confirmation 
rate’ means the percentage of ap-
proved 
household 
applications 
and directly certified students se-
lected by the local educational 
agency for verification under this 
subparagraph that had the level 
of benefits confirmed as a result 
of information obtained during 
the verification process. 
‘‘(II) REDUCTIONS.— 
‘‘(aa) IN
GENERAL.—The 
sample 
under 
subparagraph 
(D)(i)(II) may be reduced by not 
more than the lesser of 2,500 ap-
plications 
or 
2.5 
percentage 
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points for each of the criteria de-
scribed in subclause (III) that 
are met by the local educational 
agency. 
‘‘(bb) LIMITATION.—Reduc-
tions under item (aa) may result 
in a sample of not less than 2.5 
percent of approved applications. 
‘‘(III) CRITERIA.—The criteria 
referred to in subclause (II)(aa) are 
as follows: 
‘‘(aa) RESPONSE
RATE.— 
For the preceding school year the 
response rate was more than 85 
percent. 
‘‘(bb) NONRESPONSE
RATE 
REDUCTION.—The 
nonresponse 
rate was at least 15 percent 
below the nonresponse rate for 
the second preceding school year. 
‘‘(cc) 
CONFIRMATION 
RATE.—The confirmation rate is 
100 percent or has increased by 
at least 5 percent over the two 
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most recent school years for 
which data is available. 
‘‘(dd) 
ADMINISTRATIVE 
BURDEN REDUCTION.— 
‘‘(AA) IN
GENERAL.— 
The local educational agency 
receives 
a 
determination 
from 
the 
Secretary 
that 
compliance 
with 
subpara-
graph 
(D)(i)(II) 
would 
render the local educational 
agency unable to administer 
the program. 
‘‘(BB) 
REQUIRE-
MENT.—The Secretary shall 
develop a system by which 
to measure cost and admin-
istrative burden associated 
with compliance with sub-
paragraph 
(D)(i)(II) 
and 
shall consider requests from 
local educational agencies 
based on that system.’’; 
(iv) in subparagraph (H)(i)— 
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(I) in subclause (I), by striking 
‘‘November’’ and inserting ‘‘Decem-
ber’’; and 
(II) in subclause (II), by striking 
‘‘December’’ and inserting ‘‘January’’; 
(v) in subparagraph (K)(i), in the 
matter preceding subclause (I), by striking 
‘‘data mining’’ and inserting ‘‘analyses of 
data’’; 
(vi) by amending subparagraph (K)(ii) 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(ii) REPORT.—Not later than two 
years after the date of the enactment of 
the Improving Child Nutrition and Edu-
cation Act of 2016, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce of the House of Representa-
tives and Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate a report 
describing— 
‘‘(I) the results of the feasibility 
study conducted under this sub-
section; 
‘‘(II) how a computer system— 
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‘‘(aa) 
used 
to 
reduce 
verification and certification er-
rors can be adapted to further 
reduce errors; and 
‘‘(bb) using technology de-
scribed in clause (i) could be im-
plemented; and 
‘‘(III) a plan to adapt or imple-
ment such system.’’; 
(vii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(L) ENHANCED
VERIFICATION
METH-
ODS.— 
‘‘(i) REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—The Sec-
retary shall help local educational 
agencies engage in alternative and en-
hanced methods of certification and 
verification to increase the effective-
ness of the process, reduce certifi-
cation errors, and produce more 
meaningful management information 
to facilitate local educational agency, 
State, and Federal oversight with re-
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spect to program integrity in the 
school meal programs. 
‘‘(II) 
BEST
PRACTICES.—The 
Secretary shall encourage local edu-
cational agencies to adopt proven best 
practices with regard to verification. 
‘‘(III) SELECTION
FOR
IMPLE-
MENTATION.—To the extent necessary 
to refine alternative verification meth-
ods or assess the feasibility, impact, 
or efficacy of the methods prior to 
recommending the methods, the Sec-
retary shall select States and local 
educational agencies that have re-
quested to participate in the develop-
ment of best practices to implement 
methods subject to clause (iii). 
‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS.—The certifi-
cation and verification methods shall— 
‘‘(I) meet such terms and condi-
tions as the Secretary considers ap-
propriate; and 
‘‘(II) except as otherwise pro-
vided in this subparagraph, be con-
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ducted in accordance with this sub-
section. 
‘‘(iii) SELECTION
CRITERIA.—In se-
lecting methods, including methods for im-
plementation under clause (i)(III), the Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(I) consider the degree to which 
the method would improve certifi-
cation accuracy and program integrity 
within the school meal programs; 
‘‘(II) consider whether there is 
evidence that the method could be 
replicated easily by other local edu-
cational agencies or political subdivi-
sions; 
‘‘(III) consider whether the meth-
od would increase the efficiency and 
effectiveness of the verification proc-
ess; 
‘‘(IV) consider whether the local 
educational agency or State agency 
has a demonstrated capacity to under-
take the method and to produce the 
data necessary to support the evalua-
tion; and 
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‘‘(V) ensure the methods imple-
mented under clause (i)(III) are im-
plemented across a range of geo-
graphic areas and States, including 
rural and urban areas, and, when con-
sidered as a group, allow for an as-
sessment of a range of strategies re-
garding verification sample selection, 
obtaining 
eligibility 
documentation, 
and the entity conducting verification, 
including strategies that— 
‘‘(aa) use analyses of data, 
particularly in large local edu-
cational agencies to develop algo-
rithms to select error-prone ap-
plications for verification; 
‘‘(bb) use third-party data 
sources 
to 
confirm 
eligibility 
prior to conducting household 
verification under subparagraph 
(G); 
‘‘(cc) rely on alternative 
methods, including message test-
ing, 
of 
communicating 
with 
households to assess which meth-
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ods most effectively result in 
household responses; 
‘‘(dd) rely on agencies or or-
ganizations other than the local 
educational agency to conduct 
verification, including at a min-
imum the State agency or a 
State health and human services 
agency; and 
‘‘(ee) could reduce the ad-
ministrative burden of conducting 
verification for a consortia of 
local educational agencies, includ-
ing shared online applications 
and shared verification proce-
dures. 
‘‘(iv) REDUCTION.—Notwithstanding 
the 
limitation 
in 
subparagraph 
(D)(v)(II)(bb), a local educational agency 
that uses the strategies described in clause 
(iii)(V) may qualify for a reduction of ad-
ditional 0.25 percentage points under such 
subparagraph, creating a floor of 2.25 per-
cent for the verification sample size.’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
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(i) by striking subparagraph (E); 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(F) and (G) as subparagraphs (E) and 
(F), respectively; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (E) (as so redes-
ignated)— 
(I) in clause (i), by striking 
‘‘means—’’ 
and 
all 
that 
follows 
through ‘‘for each school year there-
after’’ in subclause (III) and inserting 
‘‘means, for the school year’’; 
(II) in clause (ii)— 
(aa) in subclause (II), by 
striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(bb) in subclause (III), by 
striking the period at the end 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(cc) by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(IV) include in the report re-
quired under section 4301 of the 
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act 
of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 1758a), a descrip-
tion of technical assistance provided 
to and progress of States identified 
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under subclause (I) toward imple-
menting the measures and meeting 
the goals established by the State as 
required under clause (iii)(II); and 
‘‘(V) provide guidance to schools 
on providing meals and collecting pay-
ment for any student who is no longer 
able to receive meals because the stu-
dent did not provide a response to the 
verification request for the student’s 
school meal application.’’; and 
(III) in clause (iii)(II)(bb), by in-
serting ‘‘within 3 school years’’ after 
‘‘those measures’’; 
(D) in paragraph (15)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking 
‘‘section 9(b)(1)(A) of this Act’’ and in-
serting ‘‘paragraph (1)(A)’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraphs (C)(ii) and (D), 
by striking ‘‘paragraph (4)(G)’’ both places 
it 
appears 
and 
inserting 
‘‘paragraph 
(4)(F)’’; 
(4) in subsection (f)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
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(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(C) meet minimum nutritional require-
ments prescribed by the Secretary on the basis 
of tested nutritional research specifically con-
ducted to understand the impact for children, 
except that the minimum nutritional require-
ments— 
‘‘(i) may not prohibit the substitution 
of foods to accommodate the medical, in-
cluding allergies, or other special dietary 
needs of individual students, including reli-
gious dietary restrictions; and 
‘‘(ii) shall, as possible in accommo-
dating the medical or other special dietary 
needs of such students, be based on the 
weekly average of the nutrient content of 
school lunches.’’; 
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(B) in paragraph (3)(A)(ii), by striking 
‘‘paragraph (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph 
(2)’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (4) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(4) REGULATIONS, REVIEW, AND RELIEF.— 
‘‘(A) REVIEW
REGULATIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall, at least every 3 years— 
‘‘(i) review the regulations promul-
gated in accordance with this Act for the 
school meal programs described in para-
graph (1) (in this paragraph referred to as 
the ‘school meal programs’); 
‘‘(ii) with consultation from stake-
holders in schools (including school leaders, 
school boards, local educational agency ad-
ministrators, and school food nutrition di-
rectors), certify that the regulations are— 
‘‘(I) appropriate for the age of 
children participating in the school 
meal programs, including for the 
health of children; 
‘‘(II) in compliance with the pre-
ponderance of the latest high-quality 
research based on school-aged children 
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