Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§1784 Definitions

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 13A— - CHILD NUTRITION › § 1784

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in the chapter. "State" means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. "State educational agency" is whatever the state legislature picks: either the chief state school officer or the state board that runs the education department. "School" means public or nonprofit private schools through high school (including K and preschool) and certain nonprofit residential child-care places (for example, orphanages and homes for people with intellectual disabilities), excluding Job Corps Centers. "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture. "School year" runs July 1 to June 30. Except in section 1786, "child" or "children" can include people of any age a state agency finds have one or more disabilities and who attend nonresidential public or nonprofit private schools through high school to take part in a program for individuals with disabilities. "Disability" means what the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 uses for title II.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1784

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

For the purposes of this chapter—
(1)“State” means any of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(2)“State educational agency” means, as the State legislature may determine, (A) the chief State school officer (such as the State superintendent of public instruction, commissioner of education, or similar officer), or (B) a board of education controlling the State department of education.
(3)“School” means (A) any public or nonprofit private school of high school grade or under, including kindergarten and preschool programs operated by such school, and (B) any public or licensed nonprofit private residential child care institution (including, but not limited to, orphanages and homes for the mentally retarded, but excluding Job Corps Centers funded by the Department of Labor). For purposes of clauses (A) and (B) of this paragraph, the term “nonprofit”, when applied to any such private school or institution, means any such school or institution which is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of title 26.
(4)“Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.
(5)“School year” means the annual period from July 1 through June 30.
(6)Except as used in section 1786 of this title, the terms “child” and “children” as used in this chapter, shall be deemed to include persons regardless of age who are determined by the State educational agency, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary, to have 1 or more disabilities and who are attending any nonresidential public or nonprofit private school of high school grade or under for the purpose of participating in a school program established for individuals with disabilities.
(7)The term “disability” has the meaning given the term in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for purposes of title II of that Act (29 U.S.C 760 et seq.).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, referred to in par. (7), is Pub. L. 93–112, Sept. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 355, which is classified generally to chapter 16 (§ 701 et seq.) of Title 29, Labor. Title II of the Act is classified generally to subchapter II (§ 760 et seq.) of chapter 16 of Title 29. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 701 of Title 29 and Tables. Codification Pub. L. 99–591 is a corrected version of Pub. L. 99–500.

Amendments

1998—Par. (6). Pub. L. 105–336, § 107(j)(3)(D)(i), substituted “disabilities” for “mental or physical handicaps” in two places. Par. (7). Pub. L. 105–336, § 107(j)(3)(D)(ii), added par. (7). 1996—Par. (1). Pub. L. 104–193, § 727(1), substituted “the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands” for “Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands”. Par. (3). Pub. L. 104–193, § 727(2), inserted “and” before “(B)” and struck out “, and (C) with respect to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, nonprofit child care centers certified as such by the Governor of Puerto Rico” before “. For purposes of clauses (A) and (B)”. 1989—Pub. L. 101–147 redesignated subsecs. (a) through (f) as pars. (1) through (6), respectively, in par. (2) redesignated former pars. (1) and (2) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively, in par. (3) substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”, which for purposes of codification was translated as “title 26” thus requiring no change in text, and in par. (6) substituted “to have 1 or more mental or physical handicaps” for “to be mentally or physically handicapped” and “for individuals with mental or physical handicaps” for “for mentally or physically handicapped”. 1987—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–71 amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: “ ‘School’ means (A) any public or nonprofit private school of high school grade or under, including kindergarten and preschool programs operated by such school, (B) any public or licensed nonprofit private residential child care institution (including, but not limited to, orphanages and homes for the mentally retarded, but excluding Job Corps Centers funded by the Department of Labor), and (C) with respect to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, nonprofit child care centers certified as such by the Governor of Puerto Rico. For purposes of clauses (A) and (B) of this subsection, the term ‘nonprofit’, when applied to any such private school or institution, means any such school or institution which is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of title 26. On
July 1, 1988, and each July 1 thereafter, the Secretary shall adjust the tuition limitation amount prescribed in clause (A) of the first sentence of this paragraph to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers during the most recent 12-month period for which the data is available.” 1986—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–661, § 4205(b)(2), inserted “On
July 1, 1988, and on each July 1 thereafter, the Secretary shall adjust the tuition limitation amount prescribed in clause (A) of the first sentence of this paragraph to reflect the changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers during the most recent 12-month period for which the data is available.” Subsec. (c)(A). Pub. L. 99–500 and Pub. L. 99–591, which directed the amendment of subpar. (A) by striking out “except private schools whose average yearly tuition exceeds $1,500 per child,” after “such school” was executed by striking out “except private schools whose average yearly tuition exceeds $2,000 per child,” after “such school” to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the intervening amendment of subpar. (A) by Pub. L. 99–661, § 4205(b)(2). See below. Pub. L. 99–661, § 4205(b)(1), substituted “$2,000” for “$1,500”. 1981—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97–35 inserted exception for private schools whose average yearly tuition exceeds $1,500. 1980—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–499 inserted “, but excluding Job Corps Centers funded by the Department of Labor” after “mentally retarded”. 1978—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 95–627, § 10(c), substituted “from July 1 through June 30” for “determined in accordance with

Regulations

issued by the Secretary”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 95–627, § 10(d)(3), added subsec. (f). 1977—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 95–166 added subsec. (e). 1975—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–105, § 15(c), included Trust Territory of Pacific Islands in definition of “State”. Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 94–105, § 17(b), struck out subsec. (c) which defined “Nonprofit private school” as any private school exempt from income tax under section 501(c)(3) of title 26, redesignated subsecs. (d) and (e) as (c) and (d) respectively, and in subsec. (c) as so redesignated, inserted definition of “School” any public or licensed nonprofit private residential child care institution (including, but not limited to, orphanages and homes for the mentally retarded), and provision defining “nonprofit” as an exemption under section 501(c)(3) of title 26.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–336 effective Oct. 1, 1998, see section 401 of Pub. L. 105–336, set out as a note under section 1755 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1987 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–71 effective July 1, 1987, see section 101(c) of Pub. L. 100–71, set out as a note under section 1760 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1986

Amendments

Amendment by section 4205(b)(1) of Pub. L. 99–661 applicable for fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 1986, and each school year thereafter, and amendment by section 4205(b)(2) of Pub. L. 99–661 applicable for school year beginning
July 1, 1988, and each school year thereafter, see section 4205(c) of Pub. L. 99–661, set out as a note under section 1760 of this title. Amendment by Pub. L. 99–500 and Pub. L. 99–591 effective
July 1, 1987, see section 325(c) of Pub. L. 99–500 and Pub. L. 99–591, set out as a note under section 1760 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–35 effective Oct. 1, 1981, see section 820(a)(3) of Pub. L. 97–35, set out as a note under section 1753 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–627 effective Oct. 1, 1978, see section 14 of Pub. L. 95–627, set out as a note under section 1755 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1977 Amendment Pub. L. 95–166, § 20, Nov. 10, 1977, 91 Stat. 1346, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective July 1, 1977.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1784

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73