Stop Child Hunger Act of 2021
Bill: S.1831 | Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty (D-WA)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Stop Child Hunger Act of 2021
This bill establishes a permanent program and provides funds for electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to cover meals for children during extended school closures.
Specifically, the Department of Agriculture must establish a program to provide EBT cards to cover meals for children who are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program when a school is closed, operating remotely, or a combination of both for a period of five days or more. Cards may be used to purchase food from approved retailers under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish 
   a permanent, nationwide electronic benefits transfer program for 
        children during school closures, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Stop Child Hunger Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. SUMMER ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM.

    Section 13(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1761(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(13) School closure electronic benefits transfer for 
        children program.--
                    ``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            ``(i) Covered period.--The term `covered 
                        period' means a period in which an elementary 
                        school or secondary school is closed, operating 
                        remotely, or operating in a hybrid manner for 5 
                        or more consecutive weekdays during the 
                        calendar year.
                            ``(ii) Eligible household.--The term 
                        `eligible household' means a household that 
                        includes 1 or more children who are eligible to 
                        receive free or reduced-price lunches under 
                        this Act or free or reduced-price breakfasts 
                        under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
                        U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), including children 
                        eligible for such meals pursuant to section 
                        11(a)(1)(F).
                            ``(iii) Free rate.--The term `free rate' 
                        has the meaning given the term in section 
                        1101(j)(4) of the Families First Coronavirus 
                        Response Act (7 U.S.C. 2011 note).
                            ``(iv) School closure ebt card.--The term 
                        `school closure EBT card' means an electronic 
                        benefit transfer (EBT) card that is issued to 
                        an eligible household under this paragraph and 
                        limited to food purchases.
                    ``(B) Program.--The Secretary shall establish a 
                program under which the Secretary shall provide to 
                eligible households school closure EBT cards for the 
                purpose of providing access to food for children during 
                covered periods--
                            ``(i) to reduce or eliminate the food 
                        insecurity and hunger of children; and
                            ``(ii) to improve the nutritional status of 
                        children.
                    ``(C) Use.--An eligible household may use a school 
                closure EBT card only to purchase food from retail food 
                stores that have been approved for participation in the 
                supplemental nutrition assistance program established 
                under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 
                et seq.), in accordance with section 7(b) of that Act 
                (7 U.S.C. 2016(b)).
                    ``(D) Amount.--The amount of a school closure EBT 
                card issued pursuant to this paragraph shall be, with 
                respect to a covered period, not less than the value of 
                meals at the free rate for each day of such covered 
                period.
                    ``(E) Funding.--
                            ``(i) In general.--On October 1, 2021, and 
                        on each October 1 thereafter, out of any funds 
                        in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the 
                        Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the 
                        Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry 
                        out this paragraph (including administrative 
                        expenses), to remain available until expended.
                            ``(ii) Receipt and acceptance.--The 
                        Secretary shall be entitled to receive, shall 
                        accept, and shall use to carry out this section 
                        the funds transferred under clause (i), without 
                        further appropriation.
                    ``(F) Regulations.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than October 
                        1, 2021, the Secretary shall issue regulations 
                        to carry out this paragraph.
                            ``(ii) Requirements.--Regulations issued 
                        under this subparagraph shall require that--
                                    ``(I) children shall be eligible to 
                                participate and shall be enrolled into 
                                the program under this paragraph for a 
                                covered period without further 
                                application if the children are 
                                enrolled to participate in the free or 
                                reduced-price lunch program under this 
                                Act or the free or reduced-price 
                                breakfast program under the Child 
                                Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 
                                et seq.);
                                    ``(II) local educational agencies 
                                shall support the administration of the 
                                program under this paragraph by--
                                            ``(aa) communicating to the 
                                        State agency when any school is 
                                        closed, operating remotely, or 
                                        operating in a hybrid manner; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) providing data on 
                                        the children eligible to 
                                        participate in the program 
                                        under this paragraph;
                                    ``(III) State agencies shall 
                                provide information on children 
                                eligible to participate in the program 
                                under this paragraph with the State 
                                agency conducting eligibility 
                                determinations for the supplemental 
                                nutrition assistance program 
                                established under the Food and 
                                Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
                                seq.); and
                                    ``(IV) State agencies conducting 
                                eligibility determinations described in 
                                subclause (III) shall--
                                            ``(aa) distribute the 
                                        school closure EBT cards;
                                            ``(bb) provide information 
                                        to households regarding the 
                                        program under this paragraph, 
                                        including eligibility rules and 
                                        how children in eligible 
                                        households that are not 
                                        automatically enrolled under 
                                        subclause (I) may apply for 
                                        program benefits; and
                                            ``(cc) administer the 
                                        program under this paragraph in 
                                        accordance with regulations 
                                        promulgated by the Secretary.
                    ``(G) Implementation grants.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall 
                        carry out a program to make grants to States to 
                        support the development of data systems or 
                        upgrades to existing data systems that are 
                        necessary to implement this paragraph.
                            ``(ii) Funding.--In addition to amounts 
                        made available under subparagraph (E), on 
                        October 1, 2021, out of any funds in the 
                        Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the 
                        Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the 
                        Secretary to carry out this subparagraph 
                        $50,000,000, to remain available until 
                        expended.''.
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