2022: Fitzpatrick Voted To Extend The School Lunch Program Waiver To
Provide Free Meals Through 2022 Summer Programs And Through The
2022-2023 School Year And Expand Free School Lunch Eligibility To
Students With Family Incomes Below 185% Of The Federal Poverty Line.
In June 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted
for the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022, which would "extend Agriculture
Department National School Lunch Program waiver authority to allow
schools flexibility in providing free school meals. It would extend
waiver authority for school district summer meal programs through
September 2022; provide new waiver authority for the 2022-2023 school
year; and extend 'meal pattern' waiver authority to exempt certain
school districts from food nutrition requirements through June 2023. For
the 2022-2023 school year, it would increase federal reimbursement
rates, providing an additional 40 cents for school lunches and 15 cents
for school breakfasts, and it would expand eligibility for free school
lunches to all students from families with incomes at or below 185
percent of the federal poverty line. It would also increase federal
reimbursement rates to provide an additional 10 cents for meals provided
under the Child and Adult Care Food Program for day care centers. It
would provide such sums as necessary for the costs of waivers and
increased reimbursements and require the USDA to provide technical
assistance to states and school food authorities to assist with
transitioning school meal program operations after waivers expire. As an
offset, it would permanently rescind $3.9 billion in unobligated
COVID-19 relief funding." The vote was on passage. The House passed the
bill by a vote of 376-42, thus the bill was sent to the President and
became law. [House Vote 290,
6/23/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 6/23/22;
Congressional Actions, S.
2089]
The Bill Was Signed Into Law Five Days Before Partial School Meal
Flexibilities Were Set To Expire. According to NPR, "President Joe
Biden signed the Keep Kids Fed Act on Saturday morning, extending
partial school meal flexibilities through the next school year five
days before they were set to expire." [NPR,
6/25/22]
The $3 Billion Plan Extended All Pandemic School Meal Waivers
Through The Summer Of 2022 And Increased Federal Reimbursements
Through The 2022-2023 School Year. According to NPR, "Earlier this
week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers brokered a deal to expand some
of the waivers, days before they would expire. The House on Friday
morning approved Senate changes to a nearly $3 billion plan to
extend all pandemic school meal waivers through the summer and
supply chain flexibilities and increased federal reimbursements for
school through the 2022-23 school year." [NPR,
6/25/22]
The Bill Extended All Waivers Through The Summer Of 2022 To Permit
Meal Deliveries And "Grab-And-Go Options" And Extended Supply Chain
Flexibilities And Increased Reimbursement Rates. According to NPR,
"The bill would fully extend all waivers through the summer to allow
meal deliveries and grab-and-go options for students. It would also
extend supply chain flexibilities and higher than pre-pandemic
federal reimbursement rates through the 2022-2023 school year."
[NPR,
6/25/22]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted For An Amendment That Reallocated $3 Million
For The National School Lunch Program To Serve Healthier Meals. In
July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted for
en bloc amendments no. 2 to the Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023, which would,
in part, "reallocate $3 million for the national school lunch program
for the purpose of supporting equipment grants to help schools serve
healthier meals." The vote was on the adoption of amendments. The House
adopted the amendments by a vote 336-90. [House Vote 368,
7/19/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/19/22;
Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.
294;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
8294]