The "child nutrition programs" (National School Lunch Program and certain other institutional food service programs) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) were last reauthorized in 2010. Some of the authorities created or extended in that last reauthorization law (Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 [ P.L. 111-296 ]) expired on September 30, 2015, but the vast majority of operations and activities continue because appropriations laws continued funding. Despite efforts to complete the next child nutrition reauthorization during the 114 th Congress, the legislation did not advance beyond committees. Although the formal legislative process must begin anew with the new Congress, 114 th Congress child nutrition reauthorization issues, proposals, and controversies may still influence policymaking in the new Congress; thus, background on these child nutrition reauthorization proposals may remain of interest. At the same time, regulations and initiatives implemented during the Obama Administration are a significant dimension to these programs' current law; transition to a Trump Administration may impact how the 115 th Congress proposes changes to these laws. The first part of this report (" Current Status of Program Operations ") offers some basic background on the last (2010) reauthorization, its expiration, and the current status of program operations. The second part of the report (" 114th Congress Senate and House Committees' Proposals ") presents an overview of the 114 th Congress Senate and House committees' proposals: legislative process, summary of selected provisions, and CBO cost estimates. For more background on the programs' operations (such as eligibility rules, benefits, and services) or the 2010 reauthorization, see the following CRS products: CRS In Focus IF10266, An Introduction to Child Nutrition Reauthorization CRS Report R41354, Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization: P.L. 111-296 CRS Report R43783, School Meals Programs and Other USDA Child Nutrition Programs: A Primer CRS Report R44115, A Primer on WIC: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children CRS Report R41354, Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization: P.L. 111-296 This report will track reauthorization activity in the 115 th Congress. The "child nutrition programs" (National School Lunch Program [NSLP] and certain other institutional food service programs) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are primarily authorized by two statutes, the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (codified at 42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (codified at 42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq). These statutes and programs were last reauthorized by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA, P.L. 111-296 ). Some of the authorities created or extended in the last reauthorization law expired on September 30, 2015. As of the date of this report, Congress has not reauthorized the child nutrition and WIC programs, but the vast majority of operations and activities continue with funding provided by appropriations laws. The FY2016 omnibus appropriation law ( P.L. 114-113 ) provided continued funding and extended one expiring policy. Operations continued under the terms of FY2017 continuing resolutions (CRs), and currently continue under the FY2017 omnibus appropriations law ( P.L. 115-31 ). The FY2017 omnibus also extended several expiring policies. A lapse in the reauthorization or extension of the HHFKA does not affect all activities equally: Most of the programs' authorities to operate are in statute permanently (i.e., without expiration dates). Also, many of the programs' authorizations of appropriations are permanent; these include NSLP, the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). These programs with permanent authorizations of appropriations continue, without issue, with appropriated funding (currently provided by P.L. 115-31 ). However, a few pilot programs or temporary activities expire or sunset if the authorizing law is not amended. These include a California program to provide Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) snacks year-round, certain food safety audits, and preappropriated funds for a National Hunger Clearinghouse. Under the FY2017 omnibus, the preappropriated funding for the National Hunger Clearinghouse and the food safety authorities were extended. USDA has discontinued the SFSP pilot. A number of programs' authorizations of appropriations ended after September 30, 2015. These include SFSP, WIC, WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), and State Administrative Expenses. Programs with an expired authorization of appropriations can continue to operate so long as funding is provided. FY2016 appropriations law ( P.L. 114-113 ) and the FY2017 CRs allowed these programs to continue to operate. Operations currently continue under the FY2017 omnibus appropriations law. The sections to follow describe the 114 th Congress committee proposals: legislative history, selected provisions, and CBO cost estimates. Aspects of this now-historical information may be relevant for 115 th Congress policymaking. During the 114 th Congress, committees of jurisdiction marked up child nutrition reauthorization bills. In 2016, both committees of jurisdiction—the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce—completed reauthorization legislation: S. 3136 and H.R. 5003 , respectively. Prior to the markups, the committees of jurisdiction had held related hearings. On January 20, 2016, by a unanimous voice vote, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry voted to report its WIC and child nutrition reauthorization proposal. Bipartisan approval of the committee's legislation, the Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016, was the 114 th Congress's most significant first step toward reauthorizing the child nutrition and WIC programs. On July 6, 2016, Chairman Pat Roberts introduced this approved proposal as S. 3136 . On April 20, 2016, Representative Todd Rokita, chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016 ( H.R. 5003 ), a proposal to reauthorize WIC and the child nutrition programs. On May 18, 2016, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up H.R. 5003 , adopting an amendment in the nature of a substitute as well as five Member-offered amendments. The committee approved the bill, 20 to 14, largely along partisan lines. As in weeks prior to the markup, committee Republicans applauded and Democrats decried the bill's changes to current law. On December 8, 2016, Chairman Kline submitted, together with minority views, committee report H.Rept. 114-852 . Before the end of the 114 th Congress, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, announced the end of reauthorization negotiations. This section summarizes selected provisions of the Senate and House committees' proposals. Provisions are discussed thematically, by program. The versions of legislation summarized in this report are the Senate committee's legislation as the committee voted to report on January 20, 2016 ( S. 3136 ); and the House committee's legislation, H.R. 5003 , as the committee amended and voted to report on May 18, 2016. The summaries below do not provide all specifications for the policies discussed; see legislation for further detail. In particular, these summaries generally do not include the required timeline for USDA action, nor do they include reports to Congress. Please also note that agency rulemaking is often required or implied by the legislation; such rulemaking is likely to have added details or specifications. The Senate committee's proposal would have extended the authorizations of appropriations of the Summer Food Service Program, WIC, WIC FMNP, and State Administrative Expenses through FY2020. (Other major programs—like NSLP and SBP—have a permanent authorization of programs.) The Senate committee's proposal would also have continued some of the authorizing provisions that sunset after September 30, 2015. The Senate and House committees' proposals would have continued the California pilot and the food safety audit authorities, but they would not have continued the preappropriated funding for a National Hunger Clearinghouse. The House committee's proposal included these same extensions, but used a different time period. While the Senate would have extended most programs for the period of FY2016 to FY2020, the House committee's bill would have extended for FY2017 through FY2021. Under current law, most funding for child nutrition programs is open-ended, mandatory, and appropriated. Funds are provided in annual appropriations acts to fulfill the legal financial obligation established by the authorizing laws, but the level of spending is not controlled through the annual appropriations process; instead, it is derived from the benefit and eligibility criteria specified in the authorizing laws. In the case of the child nutrition programs (NSLP, SBP, CACFP, SFSP, Special Milk, and related activities), funding is not capped and fluctuates based largely on the reimbursement rates and the number of meals/snacks served (i.e., participation in the programs). Under the Senate and House committees' reauthorization proposals, the open-ended, mandatory, and appropriated nature of child nutrition programs' funding would mostly have continued. However, the House committee's proposal (§109) included a demonstration project for up to three states to receive a block grant in place of the open-ended funding (though still mandatory and appropriated). No such demonstration project was included in the Senate committee's proposal.