119-hr4451

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4451 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4451

 To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to enhance 
 direct certification under the school lunch program.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 16, 2025

 Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Mr. Bacon, and Ms. Ross) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
 Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to enhance 
 direct certification under the school lunch program.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Caregivers, Access, and Responsible 
Expansion for Kids Act of 2025'' or the ``CARE for Kids Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCING DIRECT CERTIFICATION.

 

Section 9

    (b)

    (5) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1758

    (b)

    (5) ) is amended--

    (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph
        (A) , by inserting 
 ``(including any school operated by the Bureau of Indian 
 Education)'' before ``may certify''; and

    (2) in subparagraph
        (E) --
        (A) in clause
            (i) , by striking ``or'' at the end;
        (B) in clause
            (ii) --
            (i) by striking ``who'' and inserting 
 ``whom''; and
            (ii) by striking the period at the end and 
 inserting a semicolon; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (iii) a child whose placement with a 
 caregiver was carried out with the involvement 
 of an agency that administers a State plan 
 under part B or E of title IV of the Social 
 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) or a 
 tribal child welfare agency, without regard to 
 whether the agency is responsible for the care 
 and placement of the child;
 ``
            (iv) a child for whom an adoption 
 assistance payment is made under 

section 473

    (a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 673

    (a) ) 
 or under a similar State-funded or State-
 operated program, as determined by the 
 Secretary;
 ``
            (v) a child for whom a kinship 
 guardianship assistance payment is made under 
 

section 473
            (d) of the Social Security Act (42 
 U.S.C. 673
            (d) ) or under a similar State-funded 
 or State-operated program, as determined by the 
 Secretary, without regard to whether the child 
 was previously in foster care; or
 ``
            (vi) a child of a family that--
 ``
            (I) lives in housing dedicated to 
 low-income families with a caregiver 
 who is a grandparent or another older 
 person that cares for the child full-
 time; or
 ``
            (II) receives housing or housing 
 assistance under the Native American 
 Housing Assistance and Self-
 Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
 4101 et seq.).''.

SEC. 3. EXTENDED ELIGIBILITY.

 

Section 9

    (b)

    (9) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1758

    (b)

    (9) ) is amended--

    (1) by redesignating subparagraph
            (C) as subparagraph
            (D) ;

    (2) by inserting after subparagraph
        (B) the following:
 ``
            (C) Eligibility of transferred children.--
 ``
            (i) Definition of covered child.--In this 
 subparagraph, the term `covered child' means a 
 child that--
 ``
            (I) has been determined eligible 
 for free or reduced price meals under 
 this Act by a local educational agency 
 (referred to in this subparagraph as 
 the `original local educational 
 agency'); and
 ``
            (II) transfers to another school 
 that is under the jurisdiction of a 
 different local educational agency 
 (referred to in this subparagraph as 
 the `new local educational agency').
 ``
            (ii) Eligibility.--An eligibility 
 determination made by an original local 
 educational agency with respect to a covered 
 child shall be transferred to, and honored by, 
 the new local educational agency, including the 
 period for which that determination was 
 authorized, subject to an extension under 
 clause
            (iii) .
 ``
            (iii) Extension of duration.--A new local 
 educational agency shall honor the eligibility 
 determination for a covered child under clause
            (ii) for a period that is 1 year longer than 
 the period for which that determination was 
 authorized by the original local educational 
 agency if the covered child began living with a 
 caregiver--
 ``
            (I) in the 12-month period 
 preceding the date on which the covered 
 child is enrolled in a school under the 
 jurisdiction of a new local educational 
 agency; and
 ``
            (II) who is--
 ``

    (aa) a grandparent or 
 other relative and has legal 
 authority to secure services 
 for the child through an 
 educational or healthcare 
 consent affidavit, power of 
 attorney, or other legal 
 documentation; or
 ``

    (bb) a grandparent or 
 other relative and has legal 
 custody of the child or has 
 commenced the process of 
 seeking legal custody of the 
 child in a court of law.''; and

    (3) in subparagraph
            (D) (as so redesignated)--
        (A) by redesignating clauses
            (i) and
            (ii) as 
 subclauses
            (I) and
            (II) , respectively, and indenting 
 appropriately;
        (B) in the matter preceding subclause
            (I) (as so 
 redesignated), by striking ``Except as'' and all that 
 follows through ``

    (3)
        (H)
            (ii) '' and inserting the 
 following:
 ``
            (i) In general.--Except as otherwise 
 specified in clause
            (ii) , subparagraph
            (C) , 
 subparagraphs
        (E) and
        (H)
            (ii) of paragraph

    (3) ''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (ii) Extension for certain children.--A 
 school food authority shall extend the 
 eligibility determination made by a local 
 educational agency with respect to a child for 
 a period that is 1 year longer than the period 
 for which that determination was authorized by 
 the local educational agency, if the child 
 began living with a caregiver--
 ``
            (I) in the 12-month period 
 preceding the date on which the covered 
 child is enrolled in the new school; 
 and
 ``
            (II) who is--
 ``

    (aa) a grandparent or 
 other relative and has legal 
 authority to secure services 
 for the child through an 
 educational or healthcare 
 consent affidavit, power of 
 attorney, or other legal 
 documentation; or
 ``

    (bb) a grandparent or 
 other relative and has legal 
 custody of the child or has 
 commenced the process of 
 seeking legal custody of the 
 child in a court of law.''.

SEC. 4. EXPANDING AUTOMATIC ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) In General.--

Section 9

    (b)

    (12)
        (A) of the Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758

    (b)

    (12)
        (A) ) is amended--

    (1) by conforming the margins of clauses
            (iv) through
            (vii) to the margin of clause
            (iii) ; and

    (2) in clause
            (vii) --
        (A) in subclause
            (I) , by striking ``or'' at the 
 end;
        (B) in subclause
            (II) --
            (i) by striking ``who'' and inserting 
 ``whom''; and
            (ii) by striking the period at the end and 
 inserting a semicolon; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (III) a child whose placement 
 with a caregiver was carried out with 
 the involvement of an agency that 
 administers a State plan under part B 
 or E of title IV of the Social Security 
 Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) or a tribal 
 child welfare agency, without regard to 
 whether the agency is responsible for 
 the care and placement of the child;
 ``
            (IV) a child for whom an adoption 
 assistance payment is made under 
 

section 473

    (a) of the Social Security 
 Act (42 U.S.C. 673

    (a) ) or under a 
 similar State-funded or State-operated 
 program, as determined by the 
 Secretary;
 ``
            (V) a child for whom a kinship 
 guardianship assistance payment is made 
 under 

section 473
            (d) of the Social 
 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 673
            (d) ) or 
 under a similar State-funded or State-
 operated program, as determined by the 
 Secretary, without regard to whether 
 the child was previously in foster 
 care; or
 ``
            (VI) a child of a family that--
 ``

    (aa) lives in housing 
 dedicated to low-income 
 families with a caregiver who 
 is a grandparent or another 
 older person that cares for the 
 child full-time; or
 ``

    (bb) receives housing or 
 housing assistance under the 
 Native American Housing 
 Assistance and Self-
 Determination Act of 1996 (25 
 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.).''.

    (b) Conforming Amendments.--

Section 9
            (d) (2) of the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758
            (d) (2) ) is amended--

    (1) in subparagraph
            (D) , by striking ``clauses
            (iv) or
            (v) '' and inserting ``clauses
            (ii) ,
            (iii) ,
            (iv) ,
            (v) , or
            (vii) '';

    (2) in subparagraph
        (E) , by adding ``or'' at the end;

    (3) by striking subparagraph
        (F) ; and

    (4) by redesignating subparagraph
        (G) as subparagraph
        (F) and conforming the margin of subparagraph
        (F) (as so 
 redesignated) appropriately.

SEC. 5. MEDICAID DIRECT CERTIFICATION.

 

Section 9

    (b)

    (15)
        (A)
            (i) of the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758

    (b)

    (15)
        (A)
            (i) ) is amended--

    (1) in the matter preceding subclause
            (I) , by striking 
 ``The term'' and inserting the following:
 ``
            (I) In general.--The term'';

    (2) in subclause
            (I) , by redesignating items

    (aa) and

    (bb) as subitems

    (AA) and

    (BB) , respectively;

    (3) by redesignating subclauses
            (I) and
            (II) as items

    (aa) and

    (bb) , respectively;

    (4) in item

    (bb) , as so redesignated, by striking 
 ``regulations) with a child described in subclause
            (I) '' and 
 inserting ``regulations)) with a child described in item

    (aa) ''; and

    (5) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (II) Other children.--The term `eligible 
 child' includes a child that receives medical 
 assistance under the Medicaid program--
 ``

    (aa) under subclause
            (I) of 
 

section 1902

    (a)

    (10)
        (A)
            (i) of the Social 
 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
 1396a

    (a)

    (10)
        (A)
            (i) ) on the basis of 
 receiving aid or assistance under the 
 State plan approved under part E of 
 title IV of that Act (42 U.S.C. 670 et 
 seq.) or by reason of 

section 473

    (b) of 
 that Act (42 U.S.C. 673

    (b) ); or
 ``

    (bb) under subclause
            (II) of 
 

section 1902

    (a)

    (10)
        (A)
            (i) of that Act 
 (42 U.S.C. 1396a

    (a)

    (10)
        (A)
            (i) ) on the 
 basis of receiving supplemental 
 security income benefits.''.
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