,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjcd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #d1   
#bjbc,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,padilla1 and ,mr4 ,murphy7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,food and      
,nutrition ,act of #bjjh to provide     
guidance and enhanced technical         
assistance for ,states seeking to       
establish a restaurant meals program    
under the supplemental nutrition        
assistance program1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,meals for ,at-,risk
 ,americans ,act of #bjbc4  #b4         
,assistance for ,state restaurant meals 
programs  7a7 ,in general ,section #aa  
of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of     
#bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbj7 is amended by
 adding at the end the following3  7y7  
,assistance for ,state restaurant meals 
programs  7#a7 ,definitions ,in this    

subsection3 7,a7 ,digital application   
,the term digital application means a   
web-based platform that allows for the  
digital submission of applications4     
7,b7 ,enhanced technical assistance ,the
 term enhanced technical assistance     
means enhanced detailed educational     
guidance for ,states to learn how to set
 up a restaurant meals program4  7,c7   
,restaurant meals program ,the term     
restaurant meals program means a ,state 
option restaurant program carried out   
under subsection 7e77#be74  7#b7        
,rulemaking  7,a7 ,in general ,not later
 than #a year after the date of         
enactment of this subsection1 the       
,secretary shall promulgate a rule1     
which may be an interim final rule1 that
 establishes-- 7i7 guidance for ,states 
seeking to establish a restaurant meals 
program2 and  7ii7 a digital application
 that a ,state may use to submit a      
,state plan under subsection 7e77#be7   
for establishing a restaurant meals     
program4  7,b7 ,effectiveness of interim

 final rules ,an interim final rule     
promulgated under subparagraph 7,a7     
shall be immediately effective on       
publication in the ,federal ,register   
without requiring the ,secretary to     
demonstrate good cause1 notwithstanding 
subparagraph 7,b7 of section #eec7;b7 of
 title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7,c7 
,opportunity for comment and hearing ,an
 interim final rule promulgated under   
subparagraph 7,a7 shall give interested 
persons the opportunity to comment and  
to request a hearing4  7,d7 ,final rule 
,after the conclusion of any comment    
period or hearing under subparagraph    
7,c71 the ,secretary shall issue a final
 rule in accordance with section #eec of
 title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#c7 
,state application status  7,a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretary shall notify a  
,state agency seeking to establish a    
restaurant meals program of the status  
of the application of the ,state agency1
 including whether the application is in
 review1 approved1 or denied4  7,b7     

,reason for denial ,if an application   
described in subparagraph 7,a7 is       
denied1 the ,secretary shall provide a  
statement explaining the reasons for the
 denial4  7#d7 ,restaurant application  
status ,the ,secretary shall use a      
real-time data sharing process          
established by the ,secretary to provide
 to ,states frequent status updates on  
the status of applications to the       
,secretary from restaurants in the      
,state to participate in the restaurant 
meals program of that ,state1 which     
shall include an explanation for any    
denial of a restaurant application4     
7#e7 ,enhanced technical assistance ,not
 later than #abj days after the date of 
enactment of this subsection1 the       
,secretary shall provide enhanced       
technical assistance to ,states seeking 
to establish a restaurant meals program1
 including assistance to establish a    
digital application for use by the      
,state for the purpose of collecting    
applications from restaurants in the    

,state4  4  7b7 ,program requirements   
,section #aa7;e77#be77;,a7 of the ,food 
and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g        
,u4,s4,c4 #bjbj7;e77#be77;,a77 is       
amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7ii71 by       
striking and at the end2  7#b7 by       
redesignating clause 7iii7 as clause    
7iv72 and  7#c7 by inserting after      
clause 7ii7 the following3  7iii7       
whether the ,state agency will offer a  
digital application 7as defined in      
subsection 7y77#a77 as an option for    
restaurants in the ,state seeking to    
apply to participate in the program2 and
  4