Child Nutrition Amendments of 1980

(Reported to House from the Committee on Education and Labor with amendment, H. Rept. 96-1030)

Child Nutrition Amendments of 1980 - Amends the National School Lunch Act to extend to fiscal year 1985 the authorization of appropriationss for the summer food program for children and the Secretary of Agriculture's commodity purchasing authority.

Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to extend to fiscal year 1985 authorizations of appropriations for: (1) special payments to schools without food service programs or hot meal facilities; (2) State administrative expenses, including unused fund availability; (3) special supplemental food programs for pregnant women, infants, and young children; and (4) nutrition education and information programs.

Entitles any school to additional assistance when the appropriate State educational agency determines that not less than 40 percent of such school's lunches were served free or at a reduced price, the rate per meal established by the Secretary is insufficient, and not less than 25 percent of those receiving such assistance for lunch also participate in the school breakfast program. Permits the State agency to deny such assistance to any schools under a school food authority if such schools qualify because a school feeding program at one such school was terminated to create eligibility for such additional assistance.

Requires a school governing authority to hold public hearings if it refuses to implement a school breakfast program in any school year in which not less than ten percent of the parents of children enrolled request such a program.

Requires each State educational agency to submit to the Secretary for approval a plan of child nutrition operations for the following school year. Directs that such plan include a component pertaining to the school breakfast program which sets forth the manner in which such agency shall encourage participation in such program by schools serving low-income areas and the number of schools in such State which qualify for severe need reimbursement for food service equipment, and which will or will not offer the breakfast program during the year such plan is in effect. Requires such plan and a list of schools which have received food service equipment assistance to be made available to the public.

Establishes the level of commodity assistance at a national average value of donated foods of not less than three cents per school breakfast.

Requires a school given funding priority by a State under the Summer Food Service Program for children to notify such State by a specified date as to whether such school desires to operate such program. Directs the State to select an appropriate service institution to operate such program as specified.

Restricts the use of funds made available to schools under the food service equipment assistance program to facilities which enable such schools to prepare, cook, or receive meals, for a kitchen which serves the schools, or to enable specified institutions to provide the school lunch or breakfast for children attending such schools. Eliminates the requirement that such meals be hot.

Makes any private organization providing nonresidential day care services for which it receives compensation from amounts granted to the States for services under the Social Security Act eligible for participation in the child care food program. Requires each State to use bilingual materials for outreach and informational services where appropriate.

Requires each State agency to set aside special supplemental food program funds in amounts sufficient to service migrant farmworkers who reside or are or will be employed in the State. Permits such agencies to make reserved funds available to local agencies which intend to initiate such program in areas in which large numbers of migrant farmworkers reside or are employed. Directs the Secretary to evaluate State projections of the amount of funds required to provide services to such workers. Requires the State to conduct outreach services in such areas. Permits the Secretary to make additional amounts available to the States based on the number of local agencies serving migrant farmworkers and the number of such farmworkers served. Requires the State agency to advance funding for administrative expenses to specified local agencies and to reallocate projected unexpended funds of any local agency to other such agencies.

Directs the Secretary to provide to State agencies and schools for which the Secretary directly administers the school lunch program materials describing those programs which have been successful in avoiding discrimination against children eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

Increases from 19 to 21 the number of members on the National Advisory Council on Child Nutrition. Requires two such members to be involved in the conduct or supervision of school lunch programs in nonprofit private schools.

Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a school lunch eligibility study to determine how States are utilizing Federal funds provided to them for the child nutrition programs authorized by the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study to determine the threshold at which it becomes cost effective to provide free lunches to all children attending a school or schools within the jurisdiction of a local educational agency in which a large percentage of children receive free or reduced-price lunches.

Directs the Secretary to prepare guidelines relating to: (1) severe need assistance under the school breakfast program; (2) outreach for the school breakfast program; (3) the school lunch program under the National School Lunch Act; (4) the summer food service program for children; and (5) the child care food program, to suggest the manner in which the objectives of such programs can best be achieved.

Requires school food authorities and institutions which operate any of such programs to promote activities to involve students and parents in such programs.

Requires regulations promulgated under the National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to be transmitted to Congress before becoming effective, if not disapproved by Congress.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to submit annual reports during fiscal years 1981-1985 to the appropriate committees of Congress listing any projects or studies being conducted by the Department of Agriculture relating to feeding programs or to nutrition generally.