,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fbjj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #aa1 #bjbj,ms4
 ,fudge 7for herself and ,mr4 ,scott of 
,virginia7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,agriculture1 and in      
addition to the ,committee on ,education
 and ,labor1 for a period to be         
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary 
of ,agriculture to provide certain food 
assistance for eligible children during 
periods when their schools are closed   
due to a public health emergency2 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,pandemic
 ,,ebt ,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,department  
of ,agriculture assistance during public
 health emergency  7a7 ,pandemic        
emergency ,during fiscal year #bjbj1 in 
any case in which a school is closed for

 at least #e consecutive days during a  
public health emergency designation     
during which the school would otherwise 
be in session1 each household containing
 at least #a member who is an eligible  
child attending the school shall be     
eligible to receive assistance pursuant 
to a ,state agency plan approved under  
subsection 7b7  7b7 ,assistance ,to     
carry out this section1 the ,secretary  
of ,agriculture may approve ,state      
agency plans for temporary emergency    
standards of eligibility and levels of  
benefits under the ,food and ,nutrition 
,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjaa et    
seq47 for households with eligible      
children4 ,plans approved by the        
,secretary may provide for supplemental 
allotments to households receiving      
benefits under such ,act1 and issuances 
to households not already receiving     
benefits4 ,such level of benefits shall 
be determined by the ,secretary in an   
amount not less than the value of meals 
at the free rate over the course of #e  

school days for each eligible child in  
the household4  7c7 ,minimum closure    
requirement ,the ,secretary of          
,agriculture shall not provide          
assistance under this section in the    
case of a school that is closed for less
 than #e consecutive days4  7d7 ,use of 
ebt system ,a ,state agency may provide 
assistance under this section through   
the ,,ebt card system established under 
section #g of the ,food and ,nutrition  
,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjaf74  7e7
 ,release of information                
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture may 
authorize ,state educational agencies   
and school food authorities             
administering a school lunch program    
under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell         
,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 to release to  
appropriate officials administering the 
supplemental nutrition assistance       
program such information as may be      
necessary to carry out this section4    

7f7 ,waivers ,to facilitate             
implementation of this section1 the     
,secretary of ,agriculture may approve  
waivers of the limits on certification  
periods otherwise applicable under      
section #c7;f7 of the ,food and         
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#bjab7;f771 reporting requirements      
otherwise applicable under section      
#f7;c7 of such ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4       
#bjae7;c771 and other administrative    
requirements otherwise applicable to    
,state agencies under such ,act4  7g7   
,funding ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture
 shall use funds made available under   
the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh  
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjaa et seq47 to fund1   
with the exception of the commodities   
described in subsection 7h71 benefits   
provided under this section4  7h7       
,availability of commodities ,during    
fiscal year #bjbj1 the ,secretary of    
,agriculture may utilize funds          
appropriated under section #cb of the   
,act of ,august #bd1 #aice 7#g ,u4,s4,c4

 #fab;c71 to purchase commodities for   
emergency distribution in any area of   
the ,united ,states during a public     
health emergency designation4  7i7      
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term eligible child means a child 7as  
defined in section #ab7;d71 or served   
under section #aa7;a77#a71 of the       
,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school 
,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7;d71   
#agei7;a77#a77 who1 if not for the      
closure of the school attended by the   
child during a public health emergency  
designation and due to concerns about a 
novel coronavirus outbreak1 would       
receive free or reduced price school    
meals under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell   
,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #agel et seq47 at the school4 
7#b7 ,the term public health emergency  
designation means the declaration-- 7,a7
 of a public health emergency1 based on 
an outbreak of coronavirus disease #bjai
 7,,covid-#ai71 by the ,secretary of    
,health and ,human ,services under      

section #cai of the ,public ,health     
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d72 or
  7,b7 of a domestic emergency1 based on
 an outbreak of coronavirus disease     
#bjai 7,,covid-#ai71 by the ,secretary  
of ,homeland ,security4  7#c7 ,the term 
school has the meaning given the term in
 section #ab7;d7 of the ,richard ,b4    
,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agfj7;d774