Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Military Dependents School Meal Eligibility Act of 2020”.
Military Dependents School Meal Eligibility Act of 2020
A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to allow direct certification of children in households of active duty members of the Armed Forces for certain Federal school meal programs, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Direct certification for dependent children of active duty Members of the Armed Forces
In general— Section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758) is amended—
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (5)—
by striking “certification.—Subject” and inserting the following:
“(A) Free lunches or breakfasts—Subject”
by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (D) as clauses (i) through (iv) and adjusting the margins accordingly;
in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking “or” at the end;
by inserting after clause (iv), as so redesignated, the following:
“(v) a member of a household in which a child is a dependent of an active duty member of the Armed Forces and such active duty member has a military income (as defined in paragraph (16)(C)) that does not exceed 130 percent of the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget).”
in subparagraph (E)—
by redesignating such subparagraph as clause (vi) and adjusting the margins accordingly; and
by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) of such subparagraph as subclauses (I) and (II) and adjusting the margins accordingly; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(B) Reduced price lunches or breakfasts—Subject to paragraph (6), any local educational agency may certify any child who is not eligible for free school lunch or breakfast as eligible for reduced price lunches or breakfasts, without further application, by directly communicating with the appropriate State or local agency to obtain documentation of the status of the child as a member of a household in which a child is a dependent of an active duty member of the Armed Forces and such active duty member has a military income (as defined in paragraph (16)(C)) that does not exceed 185 percent of the poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget).”
in paragraph (6)(A)—
in clause (iv)(II), by striking “and” at the end;
in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(vi) a person directly connected with the administration or enforcement of the Department of Defense Integrated Personnel and Pay System.”
by adding at the end the following:
“(16) Direct certification for dependent children of active duty members of the Armed Forces
“(A) Agreement
“(i) In general—For purposes of making eligibility determinations with respect to certifying children under subparagraph (A)(v) or (B) of paragraph (5), a State agency shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Defense.
“(ii) Without further application—Subject to paragraph (6), the agreement described in clause (i) shall establish procedures for certifying children under subparagraph (A)(v) or (B) of paragraph (5), without further application (as defined in paragraph (4)(G)).
“(B) Access to data—For purposes of carrying out this paragraph and subparagraph (A)(v) or (B) of paragraph (5), the Secretary of Defense shall provide the Secretary with access to non-classified income information as may be necessary to determine the military income of an active duty member of the Armed Forces.
“(C) Military income
“(i) Military income defined—For purposes of this subsection, the term “military income” means, with respect to an active duty member of the Armed Forces, the basic pay, basic allowance for subsistence, basic allowance for housing (or applicable cash equivalent), overseas housing allowance, bonuses, and special and incentive payments of such member, as reported by the Department of Defense Integrated Personnel and Pay System.
“(ii) Special rule—In the case of a child who is the dependent of one or more active duty members of the Armed Forces, the Secretary, in determining eligibility under subparagraph (A)(v) or (B) of paragraph (5), shall use the lesser of the military incomes of such members.”
in subsection (d)(2)—
in subparagraph (F)(ii), by striking the “or” at the end;
in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(H) documentation has been provided to the appropriate local educational agency showing the status of the child as a member of a household described in subparagraph (A)(v) or (B) of subsection (b)(5).”
Clarification— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide a process for a parent or guardian whose child is directly certified under subparagraph (A)(v) or (B) of section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)), as added by this section, to remove such certification.