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89th Congress, S. 3467
October 11, 1966

An Act

To strengthen and expand food service programs for children.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may Child Nutrition be cited as the "Child Nutrition Act of 1966”.

DECLARATION OF PURPOSE

SEC. 2. In recognition of the demonstrated relationship between food and good nutrition and the capacity of children to develop and learn, based on the years of cumulative successful experience under the national school lunch program with its significant contributions in the field of applied nutrition research, it is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress that these efforts shall be extended, expanded, and strengthened under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture as a measure to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children, and to encourage the domestic consumption of agricultural and other foods, by assisting States, through grants-in-aid and other means, to meet more effectively the nutritional needs of our children.

SPECIAL MILK PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION

SEC. 3. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1967, not to exceed $110,000,000; for the fiscal

Act of 1966.

year ending June 30, 1968, not to exceed $115,000,000; and for each 80 STAT. 885 of the two succeeding fiscal years not to exceed $120,000,000, to en- 80 STAT. 886 able the Secretary of Agriculture, under such rules and regulations as he may deem in the public interest, to encourage consumption of fluid milk by children in the United States in (1) nonprofit schools of high school grade and under, and (2) nonprofit nursery schools, child-care centers, settlement houses, summer camps, and similar nonprofit institutions devoted to the care and training of children. For the purposes of this section "United States" means the fifty States and the District of Columbia. The Secretary shall administer the special milk program provided for by this section to the maximum extent practicable in the same manner as he administered the special milk program provided for by Public Law 85-478, as amended, dur- 72 Stat. 276; ing the fiscal year ended June 30, 1966.

SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION

SEC. 4. (a) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1967, not to exceed $7,500,000; and for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1968, not to exceed $10,000,000, to enable the Secretary to formulate and carry out, on a nonpartisan basis, a pilot program to assist States through grants-in-aid and other means, to initiate, maintain, or expand nonprofit breakfast programs in schools.

74 Stat. 84; 75 Stat. 319.

7 USC 1446 note.

APPORTIONMENT TO STATES

(b) of the funds appropriated for the purposes of this section, the Secretary shall for each fiscal year, (1) apportion $2,600,000 equally among the States other than Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and $45,000 equally among Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and (2) apportion the remainder among the States in accordance with the apportionment formula contained in section 4 of the National School Lunch Act, as amended.

, (619)

76 Stat. 944. 42 USC 1753.

80 STAT. 886 80 STAT. 887

60 Stat. 233; 76 Stat. 945. 42 USC 1759.

STATE DISBURSEMENT TO SCHOOLS

(c) Funds apportioned and paid to any State for the purpose of this section shall be disbursed by the State educational agency to schools selected by the State educational agency, to reimburse such schools for the cost of obtaining agricultural and other foods for consumption by needy children in a breakfast program and for the purpose of subsection (d). Such food costs may include, in addition to the purchase price, the cost of processing, distributing, transporting, storing, and handling. Disbursement to schools shall be made at such rates per meal or on such other basis as the Secretary shall prescribe. In selecting schools, the State educational agency shall, to the extent practicable, give first consideration to those schools drawing attendance from areas in which poor economic conditions exist and to those schools to which a substantial proportion of the children enrolled must travel long distances daily.

(d) In circumstances of severe need where the rate per meal established by the Secretary is deemed by him insufficient to carry on an effective breakfast program in a school, the Secretary may authorize financial assistance up to 80 per centum of the operating costs of such a program, including cost of obtaining, preparing, and serving food. In the selection of schools to receive assistance under this section, the State educational agency shall require applicant schools to provide justification of the need for such assistance.

NUTRITIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

(e) Breakfasts served by schools participating in the school breakfast program under this section shall consist of a combination of foods and shall meet minimum nutritional requirements prescribed by the Secretary on the basis of tested nutritional research. Such breakfasts shall be served without cost or at a reduced cost only to children who are determined by local school authorities to be unable to pay the full cost of the breakfast. In making such determinations, such local authorities should, to the extent practicable, consult with public welfare and health agencies. No physical segregation of or other discrimination against any child shall be made by the school because of his inability to pay.

NONPROFIT PRIVATE SCHOOLS

(f) The withholding of funds for and disbursement to nonprofit private schools will be effected in accordance with section 10 of the National School Lunch Act, as amended, exclusive of the matching provisions thereof.

NONFOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION

SEC. 5. (a) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1967, not to exceed $12,000,000, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1968, not to exceed $15,000,000, for each of the two fiscal years ending June 30, 1969, and June 30, 1970, not to exceed $18,000,000, and for each fiscal year thereafter such sums as the Congress may hereafter authorize, to enable the Secretary to formulate and carry out a program to assist the States through grantsin-aid and other means to supply schools drawing attendance from areas in which poor economic conditions exist with equipment, other than land or buildings, for the storage, preparation, transportation, and serving of food to enable such schools to establish, maintain, and expand school food service programs. In the case of nonprofit private schools, such equipment shall be for use of such schools principally in connection with child feeding programs authorized in this

Act and in the National School Lunch Act, as amended, and in the 60 Stat. 230. event such equipment is no longer so used, that part of such equip- 42 USC 1751 ment financed with Federal funds, or the residual value thereof, shall note. revert to the United States.

APPORTIONMENTS TO STATES

(b) The Secretary shall apportion the funds appropriated for the purposes of this section among the States during each fiscal year on the same basis as apportionments are made under section 4 of the Na

tional School Lunch Act, as amended, for supplying agricultural and 76 Stat. 944. other foods, except that apportionment to American Samoa for any 42 USC 1753. fiscal year shall be on the same basis as the apportionment to the other States. Payments to any State of funds apportioned for any fiscal year shall be made upon condition that at least one-fourth of the cost of any equipment financed under this subsection shall be borne by State or local funds.

STATE DISBURSEMENT TO SCHOOLS

(c) Funds apportioned and paid to any State for the purpose of this section shall be disbursed by the State educational agency to assist schools, which draw attendance from areas in which poor economic conditions exist and which have no, or grossly inadequate, equipment, to conduct a school food service program, and to acquire such equipment. In the selection of schools to receive assistance under this section, the State educational agency shall require applicant schools to provide justification of the need for such assistance and the inability of the school to finance the food service equipment needed. Disbursements to any school may be made, by advances or reimbursements, only after approval by the State educational agency of a request by the school for funds, accompanied by a detailed description of the equipment to be acquired and the plans for the use thereof in effectively meeting the nutritional needs of children in the school.

NONPROFIT PRIVATE SCHOOLS

(d) The withholding of funds for and disbursement to nonprofit private schools will be effected in accordance with section 10 of the National School Lunch Act, as amended, exclusive of the matching provision thereof.

PAYMENTS TO STATES

SEC. 6. The Secretary shall certify to the Secretary of the Treasury from time to time the amounts to be paid to any State under sections 3 through 7 of this Act and the time or times such amounts are to be paid; and the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the State at the time or times fixed by the Secretary the amounts so certified.

STATE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

SEC. 7. The Secretary may utilize funds appropriated under this section for advances to each State educational agency for use for its administrative expenses in supervising and giving technical assistance to the local school districts in their conducting of programs under this Act. Such funds shall be advanced only in amounts and to the extent determined necessary by the Secretary to assist such State agencies in the administration of additional activities undertaken by them under

80 STAT. 887

80 STAT. 888

60 Stat. 233 76 Stat. 945.

42 USC 1759.

section 11 of the National School Lunch Act, as amended, and sec- 42 USC 1759a. tions 4 and 5 of this Act. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the purposes of this section.

68 Stat. 458.
7 USC 1431.
7 USC 6120.

7 USC 1446a-1.

80 STAT. 888 80 STAT. 889

Appropriation.

UTILIZATION OF FOODS

SEC. 8. Each school participating under section 4 of this Act shall, insofar as practicable, utilize in its program foods designated from time to time by the Secretary as being in abundance, either nationally or in the school area, or foods donated by the Secretary. Foods available under section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 1058), as amended, or purchased under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (49 Stat. 774), as amended, or section 709 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1965 (79 Stat. 1212), may be donated by the Secretary to schools, in accordance with the needs as determined by local school authorities, for utilization in their feeding programs under this Act.

NONPROFIT PROGRAMS

SEC. 9. The food and milk service programs in schools and nonprofit institutions receiving assistance under this Act shall be conducted on a nonprofit basis.

REGULATIONS

SEC. 10. The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as he may deem necessary to carry out this Act.

PROHIBITIONS

SEC. 11. (a) In carrying out the provisions of sections 3 through 5 of this Act, neither the Secretary nor the State shall impose any requirements with respect to teaching personnel, curriculum, instruction, methods of instruction, and materials of instruction.

(b) The value of assistance to children under this Act shall not be considered to be income or resources for any purpose under any Federal or State laws including, but not limited to, laws relating to taxation, welfare, and public assistance programs. Expenditures of funds from State and local sources for the maintenance of food programs for children shall not be diminished as a result of funds received under this Act.

PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS

SEC. 12. The Secretary may extend the benefits of all school feeding programs conducted and supervised by the Department of Agriculture to include preschool programs operated as part of the school system.

CENTRALIZATION OF ADMINISTRATION

SEC. 13. Authority for the conduct and supervision of Federal programs to assist schools in providing food service programs for children Is assigned to the Department of Agriculture. To the extent practicable, other Federal agencies administering programs under which funds are to be provided to schools for such assistance shall transfer such funds to the Department of Agriculture for distribution through the administrative channels and in accordance with the standards established under this Act and the National School Lunch Act.

SEC. 14. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for any fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to the Secretary for his administrative expense under this Act.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS

SEC. 15. For the purposes of this Act

(a) "State" means any of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa.

(b) "State educational agency" means, as the State legislature may determine, (1) the chief State school officer (such as the State superintendent of public instruction, commissioner of education, or similar officer), or (2) a board of education controlling the State department of education.

(c) "Nonprofit private school" means any private school exempt from income tax under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code 68A Stat. 163. of 1954.

(d) "School" means any public or nonprofit private school of high school grade or under, including kindergarten and preschool programs operated by such school and, with respect to Puerto Rico, shall also include nonprofit child-care centers certified as such by the Governor of Puerto Rico.

(e) "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture.

ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS

SEC. 16. States, State educational agencies, schools, and nonprofit institutions participating in programs under this Act shall keep such accounts and records as may be necessary to enable the Secretary to determine whether there has been compliance with this Act and the regulations hereunder. Such accounts and records shall at all times be available for inspection and audit by representatives of the Secretary and shall be preserved for such period of time, not in excess of three years, as the Secretary determines is necessary.

Approved October 11, 1966, 6:06 p.m.

80 STAT. 889

80 STAT. 890

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 1787 accompanying H. R. 13361 (Comm. on
Agriculture), No. 1802 (Comm. on Education
& Labor), and No. 2063 (Comm. of Conference).
SENATE REPORT No. 1360 (Comm. on Agriculture & Forestry).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 112 (1966):

July 12: Considered and passed Senate.

Sept. 1: Considered and passed House, amended, in lieu of
H. R. 13361.

Oot. 5: House agreed to conference report.

Oct.

6: Senate agreed to conference report.

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