,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fahg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #aa1 #bjbj,ms4
 ,omar 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4  
,morelle1 ,mr4 ,courtney1 ,mr4 ,trone1  
,mr4 ,sablan1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mr4       
,de,saulnier1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4      
,takano1 ,ms4 ,wild1 ,mr4 ,levin of     
,michigan1 ,ms4 ,schrier1 ,mr4 ,smith of
 ,washington1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1
 ,ms4 ,pressley1 and ,ms4               
,ocasio-,cortez7 introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,education and ,labor 
,a ,,bill  ,to allow the ,secretary of  
,agriculture to grant certain waivers   
under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell         
,national ,school ,lunch ,act to address
 school closures due to ,,covid-#ai1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,maintaining ,essential ,access to      
,lunch for ,students ,act or the ,,meals
 ,act4  #b4 ,waiver exception for school
 closures due to ,,covid-#ai  7a7 ,in   

general ,the requirements under section 
#ab7l77#a77;,a77iii7 of the ,richard ,b4
 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7l77#a77;,a77iii77  
shall not apply to a qualified          
,,covid-#ai waiver4  7b7 ,allowable     
increase in ,federal costs              
,notwithstanding paragraph 7#d7 of      
section #ab7l7 of the ,richard ,b4      
,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7l771 the ,secretary
 of ,agriculture may grant a qualified  
,,covid-#ai waiver that increases       
,federal costs4  7c7 ,termination after 
periodic review ,the requirements under 
section #ab7l77#e7 of the ,richard ,b4  
,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7l77#e77 shall not  
apply to a qualified ,,covid-#ai waiver4
  7d7 ,qualified ,,covid-#ai waiver ,in 
this section1 the term qualified        
,,covid-#ai waiver means a waiver-- 7#a7
 requested by a ,state 7as defined in   
section #ab7;d77#h7 of the ,richard ,b4 
,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act  

7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7;d77#h777 or       
eligible service provider under section 
#ab7l7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell     
,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7l772 and  7#b7 to waive 
any requirement under such ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 or the ,child  
,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 
#agga et seq471 or any regulation issued
 under either such ,act1 for purposes of
 providing meals and meal supplements   
under such ,acts during a school closure
 due to ,,covid-#ai4