[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3614 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3614
To require semiannual indexing of mandatory Federal food assistance
programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 26 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Mr. Casey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require semiannual indexing of mandatory Federal food assistance
programs.
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 ``National Hunger Relief Act of
2008''.
SEC. 2. NUTRITION PROGRAMS.
(a) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.--Section 3(u) of the
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(u)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``(u) `Thrifty food plan' means'' and
inserting the following:
``(u) Thrifty Food Plan.--
``(1) In general.--The term `thrifty food plan' means'';
(2) in the second sentence--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as
subparagraphs (A) through (D), respectively, and
indenting appropriately;
(B) by striking ``The cost of such diet'' and
inserting the following:
``(2) Adjustments.--The cost of the diet described in
paragraph (1)''; and
(C) by striking subparagraph (D) (as redesignated
by subparagraph (A)) and inserting the following:
``(D)(i) on October 1, 2009, adjust the cost of the
diet to reflect 102 percent of the cost of the diet in
the preceding June, and round the result to the nearest
higher dollar increment for each household size, except
that the Secretary may not reduce the cost of the diet
below that in effect during the immediately preceding
fiscal year;
``(ii) on October 1, 2010, adjust the cost of the
diet to reflect 102.5 percent of the cost of the diet
in the preceding June, and round the result to the
nearest higher dollar increment for each household
size, except that the Secretary may not reduce the cost
of the diet below that in effect during the immediately
preceding fiscal year; and
``(iii) on October 1, 2011, and each October 1
thereafter, adjust the cost of the diet to reflect 103
percent of the cost of the diet in the preceding June,
and round the result to the nearest higher dollar
increment for each household size, except that the
Secretary may not reduce the cost of the diet below
that in effect during the immediately preceding fiscal
year.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 19(a)(2)(A)(ii) of the Food and Nutrition Act
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking
``3(u)(4)'' and inserting ``3(u)(2)''.
(2) Section 27(a)(2)(C) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036(a)(2)(C)) is amended by striking
``3(u)(4)'' and inserting ``3(u)(2)''.
SEC. 3. SCHOOL MEALS.
(a) Commodities.--Section 6(c)(1) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755(c)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``on July 1, 1982, and
each July 1 thereafter'' and inserting ``in accordance with
subparagraph (B)''; and
(2) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following:
``(B) Adjustment.--The Secretary shall--
``(i) on each January 1, increase the value of food
assistance for each meal by the annual percentage change in a
3-month average value of the Price Index for Foods Used in
Schools and Institutions for September, October, and November
each year;
``(ii) on each July 1, increase the value of food
assistance for each meal by the annual percentage change in a
3-month average value of the Price Index for Foods Used in
Schools and Institutions for March, April, and May each year;
and
``(iii) round the result of each increase to the nearest
higher \1/4\ cent.''.
(b) Overall Adjustment.--Section 11(a) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``98.75 cents'' and
inserting ``the amount computed under paragraph (3)''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) in the matter before clause (i), by
striking ``July 1, 1982, and on each subsequent
July 1, an annual adjustment'' and inserting
``each January 1 and July 1, a semiannual
increase''; and
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``(as
established under paragraph (2) of this
subsection)'';
(B) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``annual
adjustment'' and inserting ``semiannual
increase'';
(ii) in clause (ii)--
(I) by striking ``annual
adjustment'' and inserting ``semiannual
increase''; and
(II) by striking ``12-month
period'' and inserting ``6-month
period''; and
(iii) by striking clause (iii) and
inserting the following:
``(iii) Rounding.--On each January 1 and
July 1, the national average payment rates for
meals and supplements shall be--
``(I) increased to the nearest
higher cent; and
``(II) based on the unrounded
amount previously in effect.''.
(c) Payments to Service Institutions.--Section 13(b)(1) of the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(b)(1)) is
amended by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:
``(B) Adjustments.--The Secretary shall--
``(i) on each January 1, increase each
amount specified in subparagraph (A) as
adjusted through the preceding July 1 to
reflect changes for the 6-month period ending
the preceding November 30 in the series for
food away from home of the Consumer Price Index
for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor;
``(ii) on each July 1, increase each amount
specified in subparagraph (A) as adjusted
through the preceding January 1 to reflect
changes for the 6-month period ending the
preceding May 31 in the series for food away
from home of the Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor;
``(iii) base each increase on the unrounded
amount previously in effect; and
``(iv) round each increase described in
clauses (i) and (ii) to the nearest higher cent
increment.''.
(d) Reimbursement of Family or Group Day Care Home Sponsoring
Organizations.--
(1) Tier i.--Section 17(f)(3)(A)(ii)(IV) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1766(f)(3)(A)(ii)(IV)) is amended by striking subclause (IV)
and inserting the following:
``(IV) Adjustments.--On each July 1
and January 1, the Secretary shall--
``(aa) increase each
reimbursement factor under this
subparagraph to reflect the
changes in the Consumer Price
Index for food at home for the
most recent 6-month period for
which the data are available;
``(bb) base each increase
on the unrounded amount
previously in effect; and
``(cc) round each increase
described in item (aa) to the
nearest higher cent
increment.''.
(2) Tier ii.--Section 17(f)(3)(A)(iii)(I) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1766(f)(3)(A)(iii)(I)) is amended by striking item (bb) and
inserting the following:
``(bb) Adjustments.--On
each July 1 and January 1, the
Secretary shall increase the
reimbursement factors to
reflect the changes in the
Consumer Price Index for food
at home for the most recent 6-
month period for which the data
are available, base the
increases on the unrounded
amount previously in effect,
and round the increases to the
nearest higher cent
increment.''.
(e) Special Milk Program.--Section 3(a) of the Child Nutrition Act
of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1772(a)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
``(7) Minimum rate of reimbursement.--For each school year,
the minimum rate of reimbursement for a \1/2\ pint of milk
served in schools and other eligible institutions shall be not
less than minimum rate of reimbursement in effect on September
30, 2008, as increased on a semiannual basis each school year
to reflect changes in the Producer Price Index for Fresh
Processed Milk published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the Department of Labor.''; and
(2) in paragraph (8), by inserting ``higher'' after
``nearest''.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act take effect on October 1, 2008.
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