,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ebhc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,december #c1 #bjai,ms4 ,fudge introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act to improve direct certification1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,school ,modernization and ,efficient ,access to ,lunches for ,students ,act of #bjai or the ,school ,,meals ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,expanding direct certification ,section #i7;b77#d77;,f77iii77,,ii77bb7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh7;b77#d77;,f77iii77,,ii77bb77 is amended by inserting in not more than #c school years after measures4 #c4 ,direct certification improvement grants and technical assistance ,section #i7;b7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh7;b77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#af7 ,direct certification improvement grants and technical assistance 7,a7 ,definitions ,in this paragraph3 7i7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means-- 7,i7 a ,state agency2 and 7,,ii7 a ,tribal organization4 7ii7 ,indian ,tribe ,the term ,indian ,tribe has the meaning given the term ,indian tribe in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 7iii7 ,rate of direct certification ,the term rate of direct certification means the percentage of children eligible for direct certification under paragraphs 7#d7 and 7#e7 for a school year that were directly certified under those paragraphs for that school year4 7iv7 ,tribal organization ,the term ,tribal organization has the meaning given the term tribal organization in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 7,b7 ,grants 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall provide grants to eligible entities that administer the school lunch program under this ,act to improve the rate of direct certification in the ,state in which the eligible entity is located4 7ii7 ,priority ,in providing grants under clause 7i71 the ,secretary shall give priority to ,states and ,tribal organizations with the lowest rates of direct certification4 7iii7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under clause 7i7 shall use the grant funds to pay costs relating to improving the rate of direct certification in the ,state or ,indian ,tribe1 as applicable1 including the cost of-- 7,i7 improving technology relating to direct certification2 7,,ii7 providing technical assistance to local educational agencies2 7,,iii7 newly implementing or revising a direct certification system or process in the ,state 7including at local educational agencies in the ,state7 or ,indian ,tribe1 including the cost of equipment2 and 7,,iv7 coordinating with multiple public benefits programs to increase the rate of direct certification1 including by conducting feasibility studies and demonstration projects under section #ah7;c74 7,c7 ,food ,distribution ,program on ,indian reservations 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall provide grants to ,states and ,tribal organizations administering the food distribution program on ,indian reservations under section #d7;b7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjac7;b77-- 7,i7 in the case of a ,tribal organization1 if applicable1 to establish a rate of direct certification of children that are members of households receiving assistance under that program2 or 7,,ii7 to improve the rate of direct certification of children that are members of households receiving assistance under that program4 7ii7 ,use of funds ,a ,state or ,tribal organization receiving a grant under this subparagraph shall use the funds to pay the costs described in subparagraph 7,b77iii74 7,d7 ,technical assistance ,the ,secretary shall provide technical assistance to assist the recipients of grants under subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c71 and other eligible entities1 as appropriate1 in improving the rates of direct certification4 7,e7 ,funding 7i7 ,in general ,on ,october #a1 #bjai1 out of any funds in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall transfer to the ,secretary to carry out this paragraph #bh1jjj1jjj1 to remain available until expended4 7ii7 ,food ,distribution ,program on ,indian reservations ,of the funds transferred to the ,secretary under clause 7i71 the ,secretary shall use not less than #b1jjj1jjj to carry out subparagraph 7,c74 7iii7 ,technical assistance ,of the funds transferred to the ,secretary under clause 7i71 the ,secretary shall use not more than #c1jjj1jjj to carry out subparagraph 7,d74 7iv7 ,receipt and acceptance ,the ,secretary shall be entitled to receive1 shall accept1 and shall use to carry out this paragraph the funds transferred under clause 7i71 without further appropriation4 4 #d4 ,enhancing the community eligibility option ,section #aa7;a77#a77;,f7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agei;a7a77#a77;,f77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7iv7-- 7,a7 in subclause 7,i77bb7-- 7i7 by striking as of ,april #a of the prior school year and inserting during the period beginning on ,april #a of the prior school year and ending on the last day of that school year2 and 7ii7 by striking as of ,april #a of the school year prior and all that follows through subparagraph and inserting during the period beginning on ,april #a of the covered school year and ending on the last day of the covered school year2 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following3 7,,iii7 ,definition of covered school year ,in this clause1 the term covered school year means the school year prior to the first school year that a school or local educational agency elected to receive special assistance payments under this subparagraph4 2 and 7#b7 in clause 7x7-- 7,a7 in subclause 7,i71 by striking for the next school year if1 not later than ,june #cj of the current school year1 and inserting if2 7,b7 in subclause 7,,ii77aa71 by inserting 1 based on counts conducted by schools of identified students beginning on or after ,april #a of that school year1 after clause 7viii72 and 7,c7 in subclause 7,,iv77aa71 by inserting 1 based on counts conducted by schools of identified students beginning on or after ,april #a of that school year1 after clause 7viii74 #e4 ,enhancing direct certification ,section #i7;b77#ae77;,b77ii77,,iii7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh7;b77#ae77;,b77ii77,,iii77 is amended by striking #aj and inserting #bj4 #f4 ,state performance on enrolling children receiving program benefits for free school meals ,section #dcja7;b7 of the ,food1 ,conservation1 and ,energy ,act of #bjjh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh;a7b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 in the case of a ,state identified under clause 7ii77,i7 of section #i7;b77#d77;,f7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh7;b77#d77;,f771 a description of-- 7,a7 the technical assistance provided to the ,state2 and 7,b7 the progress made by the ,state in implementing the measures and meeting the goals described in items 7aa7 through 7cc7 of clause 7iii77,,ii7 of that section4 4