Summer Meals Act of 2021
Bill: S.1170 | Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (D-NY)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Summer Meals Act of 2021
This bill revises provisions related to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which provides meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months when school is not in session.
The bill redefines areas in which poor economic conditions exist, where the SFSP may operate, as areas in which at least 40% (currently, 50%) of the children have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs.
The bill reimburses service institutions (other than school food authorities) for up to one meal and one snack per child each day during after-school hours, weekends, and school holidays during the regular school calendar. Currently, such institutions are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children over the summer months or to children who are on vacation under a continuous school calendar.
USDA must award competitive grants to service institutions to increase participation in the summer food service program for children who lack the ability to access a congregate feeding site through (1) innovative approaches to limited transportation, (2) mobile meal trucks, and (3) any other method or approach that does not require children to access a congregate feeding site.
Service institutions that are participating in the summer food service program for children may serve up to three meals, or two meals and one snack, during each day of operation. Currently, this option is reserved for camps and service institutions that serve meals primarily to migrant children.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Summer Meals Act of 2021''.

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 U.S.C. 1761(a)(1)(A)(i)) (relating to the definition of the 
term ``area in which poor economic conditions exist'') is amended by 
striking ``50 percent'' each place it appears and inserting ``40 
percent''.
    (b) Reduce Red Tape for Public-Private Partnerships.--Section 
13(a)(8) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1761(a)(8)) is amended--
            (1) by striking the paragraph designation and heading and 
        all that follows through ``Except'' and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(8) Year-round meal service.--
                    ``(A) Seamless summer option for schools.--
                Except''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Year-round meal service for other service 
                institutions.--Each service institution (other than a 
                service institution described in subparagraph (A)), in 
                addition to being eligible for reimbursement for meals 
                described in subsection (b)(2) served during each day 
                of operation during the periods described in subsection 
                (c)(1), may be reimbursed for up to 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 regular 
                        school calendar.''.
    (c) Improve Nutrition in Underserved, Hard-to-Reach Areas.--Section 
13(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 
1761(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (9) and (10) and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(9) Improve nutrition in underserved, hard-to-reach 
        areas.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
                appropriations provided in advance in an appropriations 
                Act specifically for the purpose of carrying out this 
                paragraph, the Secretary shall award competitive grants 
                to service institutions selected by the Secretary to 
                increase participation in the program by children who 
                lack the ability to access a congregate feeding site 
                through--
                            ``(i) innovative approaches to limited 
                        transportation;
                            ``(ii) mobile meal trucks; and
                            ``(iii) any other method or approach that 
                        does not require children to access a 
                        congregate feeding site.
                    ``(B) Eligibility.--To be selected to receive a 
                grant under this paragraph, a service institution--
                            ``(i) may be located in any State; and
                            ``(ii) shall--
                                    ``(I) submit to the Secretary an 
                                application at such time, in such 
                                manner, 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 plan--
                            ``(i) to serve both breakfast and lunch; or
                            ``(ii) to serve lunch, a snack, and dinner.
                    ``(D) Travel reimbursement.--A service institution 
                that receives a grant under subparagraph (A)(i) may use 
                grant funds to provide reimbursement for travel.
                    ``(E) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
                authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to make 
                competitive grants under this paragraph $10,000,000 for 
                each fiscal 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''.
    (e) Summer Meal Service Reimbursement After Emergencies and 
Disasters.--Section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1761) is amended by striking subsection (r) and 
inserting the following:
    ``(r) Summer Meal Service Reimbursement After Emergencies and 
Disasters.--
            ``(1) Definition of affected area.--In this subsection, the 
        term `affected area' means an area for which--
                    ``(A) the President has declared a major disaster 
                in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. 
                Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 5170); or
                    ``(B) the Governor of the State in which the area 
                is located has declared an emergency or disaster under 
                State law.
            ``(2) Summer meal reimbursement.--In an affected area, the 
        Secretary shall, on request by a State, reimburse a service 
        institution for meals provided under this section to children 
        that consume the meals by a noncongregate method or 
        approach.''.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 13 of the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(s) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for 
the period of fiscal years 2021 through 2026.''.
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