Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2024
This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to state library administrative agencies to enable them to award subgrants to eligible local educational agencies for summer early reading programs held at schools with a summer lunch site.
The program is open to local educational agencies that include schools where at least 50% of the students in prekindergarten through grade 3 are reading below grade level at grade 3 or are at risk of reading below grade level at grade 3.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9222 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9222
To create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to State
libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their
libraries open for student use during the summer months.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2024
Mr. Morelle introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to State
libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their
libraries open for student use during the summer months.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Summer Meals and Learning Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Eligible local educational agency.--The term ``eligible
local educational agency'' means a local educational agency, as
defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)--
(A) that serves lunch at a school served by the
local educational agency during the summer as part of--
(i) the summer food service program for
children established under section 13 of the
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
(42 U.S.C. 1761); or
(ii) the seamless summer option authorized
by section 13(a)(8) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1761(a)(8)); and
(B) where at least 50 percent of the students in
grades prekindergarten through grade 3 at such school--
(i) are reading below grade level at grade
3; or
(ii) are at risk of reading below grade
level at grade 3.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the United States
Virgin Islands.
(4) State library administrative agency.--The term ``State
library administrative agency'' has the meaning given the term
in section 213 of the Museum and Library Services Act (20
U.S.C. 9122).
(5) Summer early reading program.--The term ``summer early
reading program'' means a program held in the summer, and not
less than 6 weeks in duration, that--
(A) is held at a school with a summer lunch site
described in paragraph (1)(A); and
(B) provides students participating in the lunch
program--
(i) access to the school library; and
(ii) literacy activities or expanded
learning opportunities at the school.
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR SUMMER EARLY READING PROGRAMS AT SUMMER MEAL SITES.
(a) Program Authorized.--From amounts made available under
subsection (f) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, on
a competitive basis, to State library administrative agencies to enable
the State library administrative agencies to award subgrants to
eligible local educational agencies for summer early reading programs.
(b) Applications.--A State library administrative agency desiring a
grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require. Each application shall include--
(1) how the State library administrative agency will award
subgrants described in subsection (d), including any priorities
or considerations that the State library administrative agency
will apply in making such awards, with an emphasis toward
supporting eligible local educational agencies with a
disproportionately high ratio of students served at school
lunch sites described in section 2(1)(A) to such school lunch
sites;
(2) how the State library administrative agency will
disseminate, in a timely manner, information regarding the
subgrants described in subsection (d) and the application
process for such subgrants to eligible local educational
agencies;
(3) the criteria that the State library administrative
agency will require for the summer early reading programs,
including the minimum number of hours that the school library
shall remain accessible and any other criteria regarding the
activities to be offered; and
(4) an assurance from the State library administrative
agency that each eligible local educational agency that
receives a subgrant will provide a summer early reading program
at each school lunch site served by the local educational
agency.
(c) Use of Funds.--A State library administrative agency receiving
a grant under this section shall use grant funds to award subgrants to
eligible local educational agencies under subsection (d).
(d) Subgrants.--
(1) In general.--Each State library administrative agency
receiving a grant under this section shall award subgrants, on
a competitive basis, to eligible local educational agencies to
enable the eligible local educational agencies to provide
summer early reading programs.
(2) Applications.--An eligible local educational agency
desiring a subgrant under this section shall submit an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the State library administrative agency may
require. Each application shall include--
(A) a description of the school lunch sites
described in section 2(1)(A) that will be participating
in the summer early reading program, and the ratio, as
of the date of application, of the number of students
served to the number of such school lunch sites;
(B) proof that the eligible local educational
agency meets the requirements of section 2(1);
(C) a description of the summer early reading
program that the eligible local educational agency will
provide at each school lunch site to be served; and
(D) a description of how community partners will be
involved in the summer early reading program.
(3) Award basis.--A State library administrative agency
receiving a grant under this section shall award subgrants
based on--
(A) the proposed number of school lunch sites and
the number of students that will be served under the
summer early reading program; and
(B) any other criteria established by the State
library administrative agency in the application
submitted under subsection (b).
(4) Use of funds.--An eligible local educational agency
receiving a subgrant under this subsection shall use the
subgrant funds to work with community partners to--
(A) develop and implement the summer early reading
programs proposed in the application submitted under
paragraph (2);
(B) develop and carry out other activities and
strategies related to such summer early reading
programs; and
(C) hire and train appropriate State library
administrative agency personnel to teach the summer
early reading programs during the summer.
(e) Reports.--For each year of a grant or subgrant awarded under
this section, a State library administrative agency receiving such
grant, or an eligible local educational agency receiving such subgrant,
shall submit a report regarding the progress made in achieving the
purposes of the grant or subgrant, respectively, to the Secretary.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2025 through 2029.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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