Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act of 2021

Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act of 2021

This bill revises the Summer Food Service Program to direct the Department of Agriculture to permanently establish electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and off-site consumption as two alternative delivery options for certain children through schools and service institutions in the program.

These options shall be available to a child only if (1) the child lives or attends school in a rural area or outside of an area in which poor economic conditions exist, and (2) the child is eligible for a free or reduced price lunch and breakfast. In the case of off-site consumption, the option is also available if the summer program is available to the child at a congregate feeding site but (1) the site is closed due to extreme weather conditions, (2) violence or other public safety concerns in the area prevent the child from traveling safely to the site, (3) the site is open not more than four days a week, or (4) the site provides only one meal per day.

A state may not operate the EBT card option and the off-site consumption option simultaneously in the same area.

Each state desiring to participate in the summer food service program shall include in its annual management and administration plan the state's plans for using one or both of these alternative delivery options.