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Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§1758a State performance on enrolling children receiving program benefits for free school meals

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 13— - SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS › § 1758a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must send a report to the House Committees on Agriculture and Education and Labor and to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry by December 31, 2008 and every June 30 after that. The report checks how well each State uses direct certification to enroll school‑age children from households getting program benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 for free school meals. For each State the report must give three estimates: how many school‑age children lived in households receiving program benefits at any time in July, August, or September of the prior year; how many were directly certified for free school lunches based on those benefits as of October 1 of the prior year; and how many were in benefit households in July–September but were not candidates for direct certification because, on October 1, they attended a special‑assistance school under section 11(a)(1) of the National School Lunch Act that was not operating in a base year. The report must also describe best practices from States with the best or most improved performance.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1758a

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than December 31, 2008 and June 30 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Agriculture and Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that assesses the effectiveness of each State in enrolling school-aged children in households receiving program benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) (referred to in this section as “program benefits”) for free school meals using direct certification.
(b)The assessment of the Secretary of the performance of each State shall include—
(1)an estimate of the number of school-aged children, by State, who were members of a household receiving program benefits at any time in July, August, or September of the prior year;
(2)an estimate of the number of school-aged children, by State, who were directly certified as eligible for free lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), based on receipt of program benefits, as of October 1 of the prior year; and
(3)an estimate of the number of school-aged children, by State, who were members of a household receiving program benefits at any time in July, August, or September of the prior year who were not candidates for direct certification because on October 1 of the prior year the children attended a school operating under the special assistance provisions of section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)) that is not operating in a base year.
(c)The report of the Secretary shall describe best practices from States with the best performance or the most improved performance from the previous year.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 88–525, Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 703, which is classified generally to chapter 51 (§ 2011 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2011 of Title 7 and Tables. The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is act June 4, 1946, ch. 281, 60 Stat. 230, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1751 of this title and Tables. Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246. Section was enacted as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, and not as part of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.

Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture. Section effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2008 Amendment note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress. Definition of “Secretary”“Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1758a

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73