← Back to Bills
H.R. 6203House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

COVID–19 Child Nutrition Response Act

Sponsored by Suzanne BonamiciRep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
Introduced March 11, 2020

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 11:21 AM UTC

The COVID‑19 Child Nutrition Response Act lets the Secretary of Agriculture temporarily waive certain requirements of the National School Lunch Act so schools and child‑care programs can keep serving meals safely during the pandemic. The waivers apply nationwide, let states opt in without a separate application, and cover things like non‑congregate feeding and relaxed nutrition standards when supply chains are disrupted. The authority to issue these waivers ends on July 31, 2020, and states must report on how they used the waivers.

Key Provisions

  • The Secretary may issue a nationwide waiver for all states to provide meals and meal supplements with COVID‑19 safety measures, and states can automatically join the waiver without filing a separate request.
  • A waiver can be granted for child and adult care food programs to allow non‑congregate feeding while maintaining safety protocols.
  • The Secretary may waive meal‑pattern nutrition requirements if a COVID‑related supply chain disruption makes it necessary to continue providing meals.
  • States that receive any waiver must submit a report within one year describing how the waiver was used and whether it improved services to children.
  • The waiver authority expires on July 31, 2020.
  • The bill defines “qualified program” to include school lunch, school breakfast, child and adult care food, and summer food service programs.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Education and Workforce Committee

March 11, 2020

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 11, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Education and Workforce Committee

March 11, 2020

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in HouseIssued March 11, 2020

I

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6203

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 11, 2020

Ms. Bonamici (for herself and Mr. Comer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

A BILL

To provide for certain waivers of program requirements under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to appropriately address safety measures with respect to COVID–19, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the COVID–19 Child Nutrition Response Act.

2.

National school lunch program requirement waivers addressing COVID–19

(a)

Nationwide waiver

(1)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may establish a waiver for all States under section 12(l) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(l)), for purposes of—

(A)

providing meals and meal supplements under a qualified program; and

(B)

carrying out subparagraph (A) with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID–19, as determined by the Secretary.

(2)

State election

A waiver established under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

notwithstanding paragraph (2) of section 12(l) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(l)), apply automatically to any State that elects to be subject to the waiver without further application; and

(B)

not be subject to the requirements under paragraph (3) of such section.

(b)

Child and adult care food program waiver

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may grant a waiver under section 12(l) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(l)) to allow non-congregate feeding under a child and adult care food program under section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766) if such waiver is for the purposes of—

(1)

providing meals and meal supplements under such child and adult care food program; and

(2)

carrying out paragraph (1) with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID–19, as determined by the Secretary.

(c)

Meal pattern waiver

Notwithstanding paragraph (4)(A) of section 12(l) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(l)) the Secretary may grant a waiver under such section that relates to the nutritional content of meals served if the Secretary determines that—

(1)

such waiver is necessary to provide meals and meal supplements under a qualified program; and

(2)

there is a supply chain disruption with respect to foods served under such a qualified program and such disruption is due to COVID–19.

(d)

Reports

Each State that receives a waiver under subsection (a), (b), or (c), shall, not later than 1 year after the date such State received such waiver, submit a report to the Secretary that includes the following:

(1)

A summary of the use of such waiver by the State and eligible service providers.

(2)

A description of whether such waiver resulted in improved services to children.

(e)

Sunset

The authority of the Secretary to establish or grant a waiver under this section shall expire on July 31, 2020.

(f)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Qualified program

The term qualified program means the following:

(A)

The school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).

(B)

The school breakfast program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).

(C)

The child and adult care food program under section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766).

(D)

The summer food service program for children under section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761).

(2)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.