Kids Need Lunch Act

Section 4(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753(b)) is amended—

(1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:; and

The national average payment for each free lunch shall be $4.86, adjusted annually for inflation in accordance with subparagraph (B) and rounded in accordance with subparagraph (C).

The annual inflation adjustment under subparagraph (A) shall reflect changes in the cost of operating the free lunch program under this Act, as indicated by the change in the Consumer Price Index for food away from home for all urban consumers.

Each annual inflation adjustment under subparagraph (A) shall reflect the changes in the Consumer Price Index for food away from home for the most recent 12-month period for which that data is available.

On July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the national average payment rate for free lunch shall be—

(i) adjusted to the nearest lower-cent increment; and

(ii) based on the unrounded amounts for the preceding 12-month period.

(2) by striking paragraph (3).

Section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)) is amended to read as follows:

All children enrolled in a school that participates in the school lunch program under this Act shall be eligible to receive free lunch under this Act.

In the case of free or reduced price school breakfasts under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771), subsection (b) of section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758), as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall apply.

(1) Section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758) is amended—

(A) in subsection (c), in the third sentence, by striking or at a reduced cost; and

(B) in subsection (e), by striking, reduced price,.

(2) Paragraph (2) of section 11(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)) is repealed.

(3) Clauses (i) and (ii) of section 11(a)(3)(A) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(3)(A)) are repealed.

(4) Section 28 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769i) is amended—

(A) by striking subsection (b); and

(B) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b).

Section 12 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760) is amended—

(1) in subsection (l)(4)—

(A) by striking subparagraph (D); and

(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (M) as subparagraphs (D) through (L), respectively;

(2) by striking subsection (p); and

(3) by redesignating subsections (q) and (r) as subsections (p) and (q), respectively.

In this section:

The term delinquent debt means the debt owed by a parent or guardian of a child to a school—

(A) as of the effective date specified in section 2; and

(B) for meals served by the school under the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).

The term program means the program established under subsection (b)(1).

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

Not later than 60 days after the effective date specified in section 2, the Secretary shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall reimburse each school participating in the school lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) for all delinquent debt.

To carry out the program, the Secretary shall design and distribute a form to State agencies to collect data on all delinquent debt in applicable schools in the State, grouped by school food authority.

The Secretary shall provide all reimbursements under the program not later than 180 days after the effective date specified in section 2.

Not later than 2 years after the effective date specified in section 2, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report that describes the successes and challenges of the program.

There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) or any other provision of law, effective beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, as a condition of participation in the school lunch program under that Act, a school—

(1) shall not collect any debt owed to the school for unpaid lunch charges; and

(2) shall continue to accrue debt for unpaid lunch charges—

(A) for the purpose of receiving reimbursement under section 201; and

(B) until the effective date specified in section 2.

Section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758) is amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:

A school participating in the school lunch program under this Act shall not collect any debt owed to the school for unpaid lunch charges.