I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9406 
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve 
the efficiency of summer meals. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 23, 2024 
Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and Mrs. 
PELTOLA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
Act to improve the efficiency of summer meals. 
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 ‘‘Summer Meals Act 
of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN. 
(a) BETTER INTEGRATE SUMMER EDUCATION AND 
SUMMER MEALS PROGRAM.—Section 13(a)(1)(A)(i) of 
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
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U.S.C. 1761(a)(1)(A)(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘50 per-
cent’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘40 percent’’. 
(b) REDUCE RED TAPE FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PART-
NERSHIPS.—Section 13(a) of the Richard B. Russell Na-
tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) is amended 
by striking paragraph (8) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(8) YEAR-ROUND MEAL SERVICE.— 
‘‘(A) SEAMLESS
SUMMER
OPTION
FOR 
SCHOOLS.—Except as otherwise determined by 
the Secretary, a service institution that is a 
public or private nonprofit school food authority 
may provide summer or school vacation food 
service in accordance with applicable provisions 
of law governing the school lunch program es-
tablished under this Act or the school breakfast 
program established under the Child Nutrition 
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.). 
‘‘(B) YEAR-ROUND
MEAL
SERVICE
FOR 
OTHER SERVICE INSTITUTIONS.—Each service 
institution (other than a service institution de-
scribed in subparagraph (A)), in addition to 
being eligible for reimbursement for meals de-
scribed in subsection (b)(2) served during each 
day of operation during the periods described in 
subsection (c)(1), may be reimbursed for up to 
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1 meal and 1 snack per child served during 
each day of operation during— 
‘‘(i) afterschool hours; 
‘‘(ii) weekends; and 
‘‘(iii) school holidays during the reg-
ular school calendar.’’. 
(c) IMPROVE NUTRITION IN UNDERSERVED, HARD- 
TO-REACH AREAS.—Section 13(a) of the Richard B. Rus-
sell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking paragraphs (9) and (10) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(9) IMPROVE
NUTRITION
IN
UNDERSERVED, 
HARD-TO-REACH AREAS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations provided in advance in 
an appropriations Act specifically for the pur-
pose of carrying out this paragraph, the Sec-
retary may award competitive grants to service 
institutions selected by the Secretary to in-
crease participation in the program at con-
gregate feeding sites through— 
‘‘(i) innovative approaches to limited 
transportation; and 
‘‘(ii) mobile meal trucks. 
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‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—To be selected to re-
ceive a grant under this paragraph, a service in-
stitution— 
‘‘(i) may be located in any State; and 
‘‘(ii) shall— 
‘‘(I) submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such man-
ner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require; 
‘‘(II) meet criteria established by 
the Secretary; and 
‘‘(III) agree to the terms and 
conditions of the grant, as established 
by the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) 
PRIORITY.—In 
awarding 
grants 
under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give 
priority to service institutions that— 
‘‘(i) serve both breakfast and lunch; 
or 
‘‘(ii) offer educational or enrichment 
programs. 
‘‘(D) TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT.—A serv-
ice institution that receives a grant under sub-
paragraph (A)(i) may use grant funds to pro-
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vide reimbursement for travel to satellite con-
gregate feeding sites. 
‘‘(E) 
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 
to the Secretary to make competitive grants 
under this paragraph $10,000,000 for each fis-
cal year.’’; and 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (11) and (12) 
as paragraphs (10) and (11), respectively. 
(d) THIRD MEAL.—Section 13(b)(2) of the Richard 
B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1761(b)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘only serve lunch’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘migrant children may’’. 
Æ 
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