,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #aceb ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #be1 #bjai,ms4 ,plaskett 7for herself and ,mr4 ,san ,nicolas7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to provide for parity for ,guam and the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act and the ,child ,nutrition ,act1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,federal ,school ,meals ,parity ,act4 #b4 ,parity for the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands and ,guam 7a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding section #ab7;f7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7;f771 in providing meals and supplements under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 and section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc71 the ,secretary shall apply to-- 7#a7 ,guam the average of the reimbursement rates applied to ,alaska and ,hawaii during each fiscal year under such provisions of law1 respectively2 and 7#b7 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands the same reimbursement rates applied to ,puerto ,rico during each fiscal year under such provisions of law1 respectively4 7b7 ,severability ,notwithstanding section #ab7;f7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7;f771 in the case of a fiscal year in which the ,secretary applies the national average reimbursement rate for meals and supplements under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 and section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc7 to-- 7#a7 ,alaska or ,hawaii1 the ,secretary shall apply to ,guam the greatest reimbursement rate applied to any other ,state or territory-- 7,a7 with respect to meals and supplements provided under the school lunch program1 under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq472 and 7,b7 with respect to the meals and supplements provided under the school breakfast program1 under section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc72 or 7#b7 ,puerto ,rico1 the ,secretary shall apply to the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands the greatest reimbursement rate applied to any other ,state or territory-- 7,a7 with respect to meals and supplements provided under the school lunch program1 under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq472 and 7,b7 with respect to meals and supplements provided under the school breakfast program1 under section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc74 7c7 ,rate adjustment ,notwithstanding section #ab7;f7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7;f771 the ,secretary may apply the national average reimbursement rate prescribed under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 and section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc7 to ,guam or the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 or both1 if-- 7#a7 the ,secretary-- 7,a7 determines such application is appropriate in a report published pursuant to section #c2 and 7,b7 the ,secretary publishes such a determination in the ,federal ,register with an opportunity for a public comment period of at least #fj days2 and 7#b7 on a date that is after the termination of the public comment period required under paragraph 7#a77;,b7 and at least #cj days before applying such reimbursement rate ,guam or the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 the ,secretary provides notice-- 7,a7 to the ,congressional committees specified in section #c7;b77#b77;,a72 7,b7 to each of the delegates to the ,house of ,representatives from ,guam and the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 as applicable2 and 7,c7 to the ,governors of ,guam and the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 as applicable4 #c4 ,,usda report on school meals reimbursement rates in ,u4,s4 territories 7a7 ,,usda report ,not later than #e years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and once every #aj years thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall prepare and publish a report on-- 7#a7 the cost differences between-- 7,a7 providing meals and supplements under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 and section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc7 in ,american ,samoa1 ,guam1 the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 ,puerto ,rico1 and the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 respectively2 7,b7 the average cost of providing meals and supplements under such provisions of law in the contiguous #dh ,states and the ,district of ,columbia2 and 7,c7 the cost of providing meals and supplements under such provisions of law in ,alaska and ,hawaii2 7#b7 the relationship between the cost differences under paragraph 7#a7 and the national average payment rates for meals and supplements under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 and section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc72 and 7#c7 the number and percentage of students who are eligible for-- 7,a7 a free or reduced price lunch under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq472 and 7,b7 the breakfast program under section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc74 7b7 ,public availability ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall be-- 7#a7 published on the ,internet website of the ,federal ,register for public comment for no fewer than #fj days2 and 7#b7 finalized within #ahj days after the end of the public comment period and-- 7,a7 submitted to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor and the ,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house of ,representatives1 the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry of the ,senate1 and each of the delegates or resident commissioner to the ,house of ,representatives from ,american ,samoa1 ,guam1 the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 ,puerto ,rico1 and the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 respectively2 and 7,b7 made readily available on a public ,government ,internet website4