,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aijg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #ai1 #bjai,ms4 ,smith introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act to prohibit the stigmatization of children who are unable to pay for school meals1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,no ,shame at ,school ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,mandatory certification ,section #i7;b77#e7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh7;b77#e77 is amended-- 7#a7 in the paragraph heading1 by striking ,discretionary and inserting ,mandatory2 and 7#b7 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by striking may and inserting shall4 #c4 ,retroactive reimbursement ,section #i7;b77#i7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh7;b77#i77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7,d7 ,retroactive reimbursement 7i7 ,definitions ,in this subparagraph3 7,i7 ,change in eligibility ,the term change in eligibility means1 with respect to eligibility for the school lunch program under this ,act-- 7aa7 a change from eligibility for reduced price meals to eligibility for free meals2 and 7bb7 a change from noneligibility to eligibility for free or reduced price meals4 7,,ii7 ,meal claim ,the term meal claim means any documentation provided by a school food authority to a ,state agency in order to receive reimbursement under this ,act for the cost of a meal served to a child by the school food authority4 7,,iii7 ,previously submitted ,the term previously submitted1 with respect to a meal claim1 means a meal claim submitted on or after the retroactive date4 7,,iv7 ,retroactive date ,the term retroactive date means the date that is the earlier of-- 7aa7 the first day of the current school year2 and 7bb7 the date that is #ij days prior to the date of a change in eligibility of a child4 7ii7 ,retroactivity 7,i7 ,submission of meal claims ,a local educational agency shall-- 7aa7 revise and resubmit a previously submitted meal claim to reflect a change in eligibility described in subclause 7i77,i77aa7 of a child2 and 7bb7 submit a meal claim for any meal provided on or after the retroactive date for a child that has a change of eligibility described in subclause 7i77,i77bb74 7,,ii7 ,reimbursement ,the ,secretary shall reimburse each meal claim submitted by a local educational agency under subclause 7,i74 4 #d4 ,reducing stigma associated with unpaid school meal fees ,section #i7;b7 of the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ageh7;b77 is amended by striking paragraph 7#aj7 and inserting the following3 7#aj7 ,reducing stigma associated with unpaid school meal fees 7,a7 ,definitions ,in this paragraph3 7i7 ,covered child ,the term covered child means a child who-- 7,i7 is enrolled in a school that participates in the school lunch program under this ,act or the school breakfast program under section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc72 and 7,,ii7 is a member of a household that owes unpaid school meal fees4 7ii7 ,unpaid school meal fees ,the term unpaid school meal fees means outstanding fees owed by a household to a local educational agency for lunch provided under this ,act or breakfast provided under section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc74 7,b7 ,overt identification prohibited ,a local educational agency or school food authority may not1 based on the status of a covered child as a covered child-- 7i7 physically segregate the covered child2 7ii7 overtly identify the covered child-- 7,i7 through the use of special tokens or tickets2 or 7,,ii7 by an announcement or a published list of names2 or 7iii7 identify or stigmatize the covered child by any other means4 7,c7 ,eligibility determination by local educational agency ,for any covered child who is a member of a household that has unpaid school meal fees for #a consecutive week of meals or more1 a local educational agency shall-- 7i7 attempt to directly certify the covered child for free meals under paragraph 7#d7 or 7#e72 or 7ii7 in a case where the local educational agency is not able to directly certify the covered child under paragraph 7#d7 or 7#e71 provide to the household of the covered child-- 7,i7 a household application for free or reduced price lunch under this ,act and free breakfast under section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc7 and applicable descriptive material2 and 7,,ii7 written and oral communication to encourage submission of the application described in subclause 7,i74 7,d7 ,collection of unpaid school meal fees ,in attempting to collect unpaid school meal fees from a household1 a local educational agency or school food authority may not-- 7i7 except as described in subparagraph 7,e71 direct any communication regarding unpaid school meal fees to a covered child who is a member of the household2 7ii7 withhold educational opportunities from1 or otherwise stigmatize1 a covered child due to the status of the covered child as a covered child2 or 7iii7 use a debt collector 7as defined in section #hjc of the ,consumer ,credit ,protection ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afib;a774 7,e7 ,letters 7i7 ,in general ,subject to clause 7ii71 a school food authority may request a covered child to deliver a letter addressed to a parent or guardian of the covered child that contains a communication relating to unpaid school meal fees4 7ii7 ,condition ,in carrying out clause 7i71 a school food authority shall not provide the letter to the covered child in a manner that stigmatizes the covered child4 7,f7 ,eliminating stigma in meal service ,in providing a meal to a covered child1 a local educational agency or school food authority may not1 based on the status of the covered child as a covered child1 dispose of or take away from the covered child any food that has already been served to the covered child4 4 #e4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,secretary of ,agriculture should ensure1 to the maximum extent practicable1 that a school food authority that participates in the school lunch program under the ,richard ,b4 ,russell ,national ,school ,lunch ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #agea et seq47 or the school breakfast program under section #d of the ,child ,nutrition ,act of #aiff 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aggc7 shall provide to a child who requests a lunch or breakfast the same lunch or breakfast provided to students not certified to receive free or reduced price school lunch or breakfast under those ,acts1 regardless of the ability of the child to pay for the lunch or breakfast requested4