School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 1431 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1431 To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve program requirements and direct certification, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 10, 2025 Mr. Fetterman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve program requirements and direct certification, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``School Meal Modernization and Hunger Elimination Act''. SEC. 2. DIRECT CERTIFICATION. Section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (4)(F)(iii)(II)(bb), by inserting ``in not more than 3 school years'' after ``measures''; and (2) in paragraph (5)-- (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Discretionary certification'' and inserting ``Direct certification of additional low-income children''; (B) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``may certify'' and inserting ``(including any school operated by the Bureau of Indian Education) shall certify''; (C) in subparagraph (B), by inserting a closing parenthesis before the semicolon at the end; (D) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``or'' at the end; and (E) in subparagraph (E)-- (i) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' at the end; (ii) in clause (ii)-- (I) by striking ``who'' and inserting ``whom''; and (II) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (iii) by adding at the end the following: ``(