National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act Amendments

(Measure indefinitely postponed in Senate, H. R. 1139 passed in lieu)

National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Amendments - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, under the National School Lunch Act, to assist States in the development of information and technical assistance to encourage greater utilization of meals prepared at the facilities of sponsors or schools.

Requires the Secretary to use $1,500,000 annually to aid sponsoring institutions offering federally subsidized food service year round in the purchase of equipment to enable such institutions to create or expand onsite meal preparation.

Entitles institutions demonstrating adequate administrative and financial responsibility and meeting appropriate eligibility criteria to participate in the program as "eligible sponsors.

Sets forth priority criteria to be utilized in determining sponsorship where more than one institution seeks to serve the same area.

Stipulates that residential camps can only be reimbursed for meals served to children eligible for free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act.

Specifies the amounts of Federal assistance that may be made available to sponsors for food service operations.

Directs every sponsor when applying for the program to submit a complete budget for administrative costs related to the program.

Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of the food service operations carried out under the National School Lunch Act. Specifies factors to be considered in such study. Requires the Secretary to make any necessary changes in the reimbursement levels for operation costs pursuant to such study.

Directs the Secretary to analyze the administrative expenditures to sponsors participating in the program and prescribe maximum levels of reimbursement of such expenditures. Requires the Secretary to report his findings and recommendations to Congress.

Makes financial assistance available to sponsors only for meals served during the months of May through September with certain exceptions made for sponsors developing programs to cover children on school vacations.

Directs the Secretary to forward advance payments to each State. Sets forth a formula for determination of the amounts of such advance payments.

Requires sponsors receiving funds under such Act to serve meals containing a combination of foods and meeting prescribed nutritional standards.

Requires each State to promote meal quality by prescribing model meal specifications and including such specifications in contracts between sponsors and food service management companies.

Allows sponsors to contract on a competitive bid basis only with food service management companies registered with the State for the furnishing of meals or management of the entire food service. Prohibits such companies from: (1) subcontracting with a single company for the total meal components; or (2) contracting with another company for the assembly of the complete meal. Requires the State, upon award of a bid, to review the company's capability for delivering additional meals to a sponsor.

Stipulates that a food service management company must register with the administering State agency in order to participate in the program. Sets forth items which such registration statement must include.

Requires the Secretary to maintain records on all registered food service management companies for use by State agencies.

Directs each sponsor to make positive efforts to utilize small and minority owned business as supply sources.

Directs the States to develop a standard form contract for use by sponsors and food service management companies.

Specifies the time limits for passing proposed and final regulations under this Act.

Directs participating service institutions to utilize, insofar as practicable, foods designated as in abundance by the Secretary.

Permits the Secretary to fund sponsors directly if he is unable to utilize State agencies.

Stipulates that Federal assistance under such Act may not be used to replace expenditures by State and local agencies.

Stipulates that Federal assistance under such Act may not be used to replace expenditures by State and local agencies. Directs the Secretary to pay to each State a varying percentage of its administrative costs incurred under such Act.

Requires the keeping of such records and accounts as may be necessary to enable the Secretary to determine whether the States, State agencies, and sponsors are in compliance with such Act.

Directs each State desiring to participate in the program to submit a management and administrative plan including specified material.

Imposes fines and/or imprisonment for specified violations of such Act.

Authorizes for fiscal years 1978-1980, the appropriation of such sums as are necessary to carry out the summer food program for children.

Directs the Secretary to pay, on an annual basis, to each State educational agency, an amount equal to the difference between the value of commodity deliveries programmed for such State and the total level of direct commodity assistance authorized by the National School Lunch Act. Directs that such payments be used by schools within such State to purchase commodities and other foods.

Directs the Secretary to purchase agricultural commodities for the school lunch program and authorizes the appropriation from the general funds of the Treasury of sums as are necessary for such purchases.

Directs the Secretary, in providing assistance under the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act, to establish procedures to reflect State needs and views with respect to commodity assistance. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the impact of such procedures.

Provides for a study by the Department of Agriculture of past and present patterns of sanitary practices of commodity producers being considered for child nutrition program contracts.

Directs the Secretary to conduct a study to analyze the impact of cash payments in lieu of commodity deliveries under the National School Lunch Act. Directs the Secretary to report the results of such study to Congress.

Makes children who are eligible for free lunches eligible for free milk when milk is made available at times other than meal times.

Authorizes the Secretary to make an additional payment of up to 45 cents with semi-annual cost-of-living adjustments, for breakfasts served under the School Breakfast Program to children in especially needy schools.

Directs each State educational agency to establish eligibility standards for providing additional assistance to schools in severe need where the Secretary's rate per meal is insufficient to carry on an effective breakfast program. States that schools meeting such standards shall be entitled to receive 100 percent of the operating costs of the breakfast program.

Makes funds available to the States for use in Food Service Equipment Assistance Programs operating in areas in which poor economic conditions exist. Specifies that the amount of such funds shall be a percentage of the funds expended by the States in the previous year's School Lunch Program.

Requires States to give priority to schools without either food service programs or facilities to prepare and cook hot meals when apportioning funds received under the Food Service Equipment Assistance Program.

Requires any such funds appropriated for the purpose of enabling schools to produce their own hot meals to be used only for facilities at the school or a kitchen operated by the local school district except in certain specified situations.

Requires the Secretary to pay to each State agency a percentage of its administrative costs incurred pursuant to the administration of the Child Nutrition Act and National School Lunch Act. Specifies what administrative costs such funds may be used to pay.

Permits an adjustment to the percentage allowed for administrative costs in the event a State agrees to assume certain administrative responsibilities previously performed by the Department of Agriculture.

Requires each State agency to submit a plan for the utilization of administration expense funds.

Permits payment of administration expense funds only if a State agrees to maintain its level of funding prior to enactment of this Act.

Authorizes, for fiscal years 1978-1980, the appropriation of such sums as are necessary for the purposes of meeting State administrative expenses.

Authorizes the Secretary to create a program to provide for nutritional training of educational and food service personnel and to disseminate sound nutrition information to children. Directs the Secretary to make grants to State educational agencies in order to implement such a program. Creates a mechanism whereby the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health, Education, and Welfare could allow a single grant application for a health education program including nutrition education.

Requires State educational agencies participating in such a program to keep such accounts and records as may be necessary to enable the Secretary to determine whether they are in compliance with the program requirements.

Requires each participating State to appoint a State coordinator on nutrition education. Directs the State coordinator to develop and furnish to the Secretary a comprehensive plan for nutrition education.

Establishes within the National Agricultural Library of the United States a Food and Nutrition Information and Education Resources Center. Delineates the responsibilities of such Center.

Permits the State to make grants to schools and educational agencies to pay the costs of pilot demonstration projects with respect to nutrition education.

Specifies the uses to which funds available under such program may be utilized.

Specifies, for fiscal years 1978-1982, the rate to be used in determining the amounts of grants made to States for nutrition education.

Revises the representation and the terms of appointment of members of the National Advisory Council on Child Nutrition.

Establishes an Institute of Food Management and Technology to provide research needed to solve the problems of providing food service in diverse situations.

Amends such Acts to authorize programs and funds on the basis of the school year rather than the fiscal year.