---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2243"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2243"
heading: "Authority to use appropriated funds to support student meal programs in overseas defense dependents’ schools"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2243"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 134 — Miscellaneous Administrative Provisions"
  - "Subchapter I — Miscellaneous Authorities, Prohibitions, and Limitations on the Use of Appropriated Funds"
---

# §2243. Authority to use appropriated funds to support student meal programs in overseas defense dependents’ schools

- (a) **Authority.—** Subject to [subsection (b)](#b), amounts appropriated to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense for the operation of overseas defense [dependents](/usc/10/1072.md?p=2)’ schools may be used by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense to enable an overseas meal [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) to provide students enrolled in such a school with meals at a price equal to the average price paid by students for equivalent meals under a comparable public school meal [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
- (b) **Limitation.—** The authority provided by [subsection (a)](#a) may be used only if the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense determines that Federal payments and commodities provided under section 20 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act ([42 U.S.C. 1769b](/usc/42/1769b.md)) and section 20 of the [Child](/usc/10/1072.md?p=6) Nutrition Act of 1966 ([42 U.S.C. 1789](/usc/42/1789.md)) to support an overseas meal [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) are insufficient to provide meals under that [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) at a price for students equal to the average price paid by students for equivalent meals under a comparable public school meal [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
- (c) **Determining Average Price.—** In determining the average price paid by students in the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) for meals under a school meal [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall exclude free and reduced price meals provided pursuant to income guidelines.
- (d) **Overseas Meal Program Defined.—** In this section, the term “overseas meal [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1)” means a [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) administered by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense to provide breakfasts or lunches to students attending overseas defense [dependents](/usc/10/1072.md?p=2)’ schools.
- (e) **Overseas Defense Dependents’ School Defined.—** In this section, the term “overseas defense [dependents](/usc/10/1072.md?p=2)’ school” means the following:
  - (1) A school established as part of the defense [dependents](/usc/10/1072.md?p=2)’ education system provided for under the Defense [Dependents](/usc/10/1072.md?p=2)’ Education Act of 1978 ([20 U.S.C. 921](/usc/20/921.md) et seq.).
  - (2) An elementary or secondary school established pursuant to [section 2164 of this title](/usc/10/2164.md) that is located in a territory, commonwealth, or possession of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title III, § 326(a), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1415; amended Pub. L. 106–78, title VII, § 752(b)(7), Oct. 22, 1999, 113 Stat. 1169; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title V, § 573(a), (b)(1), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 830, 831.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Defense Dependents’ Education Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (e)(1), is title XIV of Pub. L. 95–561, Nov. 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 2365, which is classified principally to chapter 25A (§ 921 et seq.) of Title 20, Education. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 921 of Title 20 and Tables.

### Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–92, § 573(b)(1), substituted “Authority to use appropriated funds to support student meal programs in overseas defense dependents’ schools” for “Authority to use appropriated funds to support student meal programs in overseas dependents’ schools” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–92, § 573(a)(1), substituted “overseas defense dependents’ schools” for “the defense dependents’ education system” and “students enrolled in such a school” for “students enrolled in that system”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–92, § 573(a)(2), substituted “overseas defense dependents’ schools” for “Department of Defense dependents’ schools which are located outside the United States”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 114–92, § 573(a)(3), added subsec. (e).

1999—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–78 substituted “Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act” for “National School Lunch Act”.