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Title IV — Eradicating Hunger

H.R. 1933 · 113th Congress · May 9, 2013 · Lineage

IV Eradicating Hunger

Sec. 401 Weekends and holidays without hunger

Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(l) Weekends and holidays without hunger

“(1) Definitions—In this subsection:

“(A) At-risk school child—The term at-risk school child has the meaning given the term in section 17(r)(1).

“(B) Eligible institution

“(i) In general—The term eligible institution means a public or private nonprofit institution that is determined by the Secretary to be able to meet safe food storage, handling, and delivery standards established by the Secretary.

“(ii) Inclusions—The term eligible institution includes—

“(I) an elementary or secondary school or school food service authority;

“(II) a food bank or food pantry;

“(III) a homeless shelter; and

“(IV) such other type of emergency feeding agency as is approved by the Secretary.

“(2) Establishment—Subject to the availability of appropriations provided in advance in an appropriations Act specifically for the purpose of carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide commodities, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to provide nutritious food to at-risk children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year.

“(3) Eligibility

“(A) In general—To be eligible to receive commodities under this subsection, an eligible institution shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may determine.

“(B) Plan—An application under subparagraph (A) shall include the plan of the eligible institution for the distribution of nutritious foods to at-risk school children, including—

“(i) methods of food service delivery to at-risk school children;

“(ii) assurances that children receiving foods under the project will not be publicly separated or overtly identified;

“(iii) lists of the types of food to be provided under the project and provisions to ensure food quality and safety;

“(iv) information on the number of at-risk school children to be served and the per-child cost of providing the children with food; and

“(v) such other information as the Secretary determines to be necessary to assist the Secretary in evaluating projects that receive commodities under this subsection.

“(4) Priority—In selecting applications under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible institutions that—

“(A) have on-going programs and experience serving populations with significant proportions of at-risk school children;

“(B) have a good record of experience in food delivery and food safety systems;

“(C) maintain high quality control, accountability, and recordkeeping standards;

“(D) provide children with readily consumable food of high nutrient content and quality;

“(E) demonstrate cost efficiencies and the potential for obtaining supplemental funding from non-Federal sources to carry out projects; and

“(F) demonstrate the ability to continue projects for the full approved term of the pilot project period.

“(5) Guidelines

“(A) In general—The Secretary shall issue guidelines containing the criteria for projects to receive commodities under this section.

“(B) Inclusions—The guidelines shall, to the maximum extent practicable within the funds available and applications submitted, take into account—

“(i) geographical variations in project locations to include qualifying projects in rural, urban, and suburban areas with high proportions of families with at-risk school children;

“(ii) different types of projects that offer nutritious foods on weekends and during school holidays to at-risk school children; and

“(iii) institutional capacity to collect, maintain, and provide statistically valid information necessary for the Secretary—

“(I) to analyze and evaluate the results of the pilot project; and

“(II) to make recommendations to Congress.

“(6) Evaluation

“(A) Interim evaluation—Not later than November 30, 2016, the Secretary shall complete an interim evaluation of the pilot program carried out under this subsection.

“(B) Final report—Not later than December 31, 2017, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report that contains—

“(i) an evaluation of the pilot program carried out under this subsection; and

“(ii) any recommendations of the Secretary for legislative action.

“(7) Funding

“(A) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary, to remain available until expended.

“(B) Availability of funds—Not more than 3 percent of the funds made available under subparagraph (A) may be used by the Secretary for expenses associated with review of the operations and evaluation of the projects carried out under this subsection.”

Sec. 402 Expansion and modernization of the commodity supplemental food program

Section 5 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (1) by striking “2008 through 2012” and inserting “2014 through 2018”, and
(B)
in paragraph (2)(B) by striking “2004 through 2012” and inserting “2014 through 2018”, and
(2)
in subsection (g) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:

“(2) women, infants and children participating in the program as of the effective date of this paragraph.”

Sec. 403 Expansion and modernization of the emergency food assistance program

(a)
Amendments to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008— Section 27(a)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036(a)(2)) is amended—
(1)
by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following:

“(A) for fiscal years 2014 through 2018, $350,000,000; plus $100,000,000 for each percentage point that unemployment exceeds the rate as of June 2008 (prorated such that each change of 0.1 percent shall result in a change in funding of $10,000,000). The unemployment rate from June of the immediately preceding fiscal year shall be used to compute change from June 2008. In any fiscal year, the amount calculated in this subparagraph shall not be less than $350,000,000.”

(2)
in subparagraph (C)—
(A)
by striking “(C)” and inserting “(B)”,
(B)
by striking “2010 through 2012” and inserting “2014 through 2018”,
(C)
by striking “subparagraph (B)” and inserting “ subparagraph (A)”, and
(D)
by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”, and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(C) of the total funds made available under subparagraphs (A) and (B), not less than $100,000,000 shall be to support State and local storage and distribution costs. In addition, each year States may transfer up to 5 percent of total funds provided for commodity purchases into accounts used to fund storage and distribution costs at their discretion”

(b)
Amendments to the emergency food assistance act of 1983— The Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.) is amended—
(1)
in section 202 by adding at the end the following:

“(h) In addition to other considerations, including but not limited to the need to intervene in depressed domestic agricultural markets, the Secretary shall consider the needs of States and demands on emergency food providers in making commodity purchase decisions.”

(2)
in section 204 by striking “2008” and inserting “2014”.
(c)
Authority To use section 32 funds To respond to situations of high rates of food insecurity or unemployment— The second sentence of section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c) is amended in paragraph (2) by inserting after “low-income groups” the following: “or in situations of high rates of food insecurity or unemployment,”.

Sec. 404 Food bank equipment and technology program

(a)
Authority for program— The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop and carry out a food bank equipment and technology program to make grants to eligible entities to be used within a 1-year period for the purchase of operating equipment and technology that increases the efficiency of a food bank. Eligible entities include nonprofit entities that operate food banks in urban areas.
(b)
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years in the 3-year period beginning on the October 1 of the 1st fiscal year that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act.