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Updated February 27, 2020
Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview
Introduction
Provision, an option within NSLP/SBP that allows eligible
Child nutrition reauthorization (CNR) refers to Congress’s
schools to provide free meals to all students. The law also
process of making changes to the permanent statutes that
required USDA to update the nutrition standards for school
authorize the child nutrition programs, the Special
meals and establish nutrition standards for other foods sold
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
in schools during the school day. For WIC, the law included
Children (WIC), and related activities:
the requirement that states transition, by October 1, 2020,
from their primarily paper voucher-based WIC benefits to
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act,
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). In some cases, the new
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, and
policies were described within the statute; in other cases,
(less often) Section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935,
the details were laid out in USDA-promulgated regulations.
which transfers funds to the child nutrition programs
Recent Reauthorization Efforts
annually.
During the 114th Congress, the committees of jurisdiction
The most recent CNR was the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids
(the House Education and Labor committee and Senate
Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296). Some of the authorities created
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry committee) marked up
or extended in that law expired on September 30, 2015.
CNR bills but reauthorization was not completed (see CRS
However, the vast majority of program operations have
Report R44373, Tracking Child Nutrition Reauthorization
continued with funding provided by appropriations acts.
in the 114th Congress: An Overview). In 2019, leadership
Programs Typically Included in CNR
of both committees announced plans to work on CNR in the
116th Congress.
CNR typically includes WIC, the WIC Farmers’ Market
Nutrition Program (FMNP), and the following child
Categorization of Programs’ Funding
nutrition programs:
Most of the WIC and child nutrition programs’ funding
National School Lunch Program (NSLP);
requires annual appropriations:
School Breakfast Program (SBP);
Most child nutrition program funding is appropriated
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP);
mandatory spending based on formulas and criteria in
the authorizing laws (e.g., the programs’ per-meal
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP); and
reimbursements).
Special Milk Program (SMP).
Some smaller child nutrition grants and activities
CNR also covers a number of smaller grant programs and
(e.g., Team Nutrition) are funded with discretionary
support activities, such the Farm to School Grant Program
appropriations.
and funding for states’ administrative expenses associated
with operating certain programs.
WIC and WIC FMNP funds are discretionary.
Table 1 provides a short description of each of the major
Have the Programs Expired?
programs typically included in CNR.
Many child nutrition program are permanently authorized
Related Policies in the Farm Bill
and have permanent authorizations of appropriations (they
have no expiration date). This is the case for the main
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP),
functions of NSLP, SBP, CACFP, and SMP.
authorized in the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act, has been amended by both CNR and farm bills,
In other cases—such as SFSP, WIC, WIC FMNP, and
including the 2004 CNR and farm bills in 2008 and 2014.
funding for states’ administrative expenses—the authority
The 2010 CNR and the 2018 farm bill did not amend FFVP.
for the programs themselves is permanent, but their
authorizations of appropriations expired on September 30,
In addition, farm bills sometimes include provisions related
2015. In such cases, the programs and activities may still
to food purchasing and distribution in child nutrition
operate if funding is provided in appropriations acts, which
programs. The 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334), the most
has been the case in each of FY2016 through FY2020.
recent farm bill, extended funding for USDA’s purchase of
fresh fruits and vegetables for child nutrition programs and
A few pilot programs and temporary activities expired on
required USDA to enforce “Buy American” (domestic
September 30, 2015, and were not always extended. A
purchasing) rules for schools participating in NSLP/SBP.
California program to provide SFSP snacks year-round was
not extended. USDA’s authority to conduct food safety
Last Reauthorization
audits and funding for a National Hunger Clearinghouse
was not extended in FY2016 but was subsequently
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296)
extended by appropriations acts in each of FY2017 through
included a number of new and revised policies. For
FY2020.
example, the law created the Community Eligibility
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Table 1. Child Nutrition and WIC Programs at a Glance
FY2019
FY2019
Average Daily
Authorizing Statute
Expenditures
Participation
(Year First
(exceptions
(exceptions
Program
Authorized)
Description
noted)
noted)
National School Lunch Richard B. Russell
Provides federal reimbursements for lunches $14.2 billion
29.5 million
Program (NSLP)
National School Lunch Act served in participating pre-K-12 schools.
children
(1946)
Options for schools to provide afterschool
snacks and summer lunches through NSLP.
School Breakfast
Child Nutrition Act
Provides reimbursements for breakfasts
$4.5 billion
14.8 million
Program (SBP)
(1966)
served in participating schools (also pre-K-12).
children
Option for schools to provide summer
breakfasts.
Child and Adult Care
Richard B. Russell
Provides reimbursements for meals and
$3.7 billion
4.7 million
Food Program (CACFP) National School Lunch Act snacks in child care centers, day care homes,
children; 136,500
(1968)
and adult day care centers. Rules and funding
adults
differ based on type of institution.
CACFP At-risk
Richard B. Russell
Provides reimbursements for after-school
Included in
2.2 million
Afterschool componenta National School Lunch Act meals and snacks served at afterschool
CACFP total
children (included
(1994)
programs located in low-income areas.
in CACFP total)
Summer Food Service
Richard B. Russell
Provides reimbursements for meals and
$476.5 million
2.7 million
Program (SFSP)
National School Lunch Act snacks served by nonprofit organizations and
childrenb
(1968)
schools during the summer months. Eligibility
rules vary by type of meal site.
Special Milk Program
Child Nutrition Act
Provides reimbursements for milk in schools $7.4 million
2.2 million half-
(SMP)
(1954)
and institutions that do not participate in
pints served on
other child nutrition programs.
average dailyc
Special Supplemental
Child Nutrition Act
Provides benefits redeemable for
$6.0 billion
6.9 million
Nutrition Program for
(1974)
supplemental foods as well as nutrition
(FY2020
recipients average
Women, Infants, and
counseling and breastfeeding support to
appropriations)d monthly
Children (WIC)
pregnant/breastfeeding/postpartum women,
infants, and children (under five years old).
WIC Farmers’ Market
Child Nutrition Act
Provides vouchers for WIC participants to
$18.5 million
1.7 million
Nutrition Program
(1992)
redeem at farmers’ markets.
(FY2020
recipients total in
(WIC FMNP)
appropriations)
FY2018
Fresh Fruit and
Richard B. Russell
Provides funding for fresh fruit and vegetable $175.5 million
Not available
Vegetable Program
National School Lunch Act snacks in elementary schools, with priority for (FY2020 transfer
(FFVP)
(2002)
low-income schools.
from Section 32)e
Source: Except as noted, preliminary FY2019 participation and funding data from USDA-FNS Keydata Report, February 2020, based on data
through November 2019. WIC, WIC FMNP FY2020 appropriations from P.L. 116-94.
a. At-risk after-school snacks and meals are part of CACFP law and funding, but differ in their rules and the age of children served.
b. According to a May 2018 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, estimates of participation in SFSP may be unreliable
because they have been calculated inconsistently across states and years. GAO, Actions Needed to Improve Participation Estimates and
Address Program Challenges, GAO-18-369, May 2018.
c. Number of half pints served per month divided by the average school days in a month.
d. Section 723 of P.L. 116-94 also rescinded $1 billion in prior-year carryover funding.
e. USDA-FNS, “FFVP: Allocation of FY2020 Funds,” SP 29-2019, May 2019.
CRS Reports for Further Information
CRS Report R44373, Tracking Child Nutrition
CRS Report R42353, Domestic Food Assistance: Summary
Reauthorization in the 114th Congress: An Overview
of Programs
CRS Report R41354, Child Nutrition and WIC
CRS Report R46234, School Meals and Other Child
Reauthorization: P.L. 111-296
Nutrition Programs: Background and Funding
CRS Report RL34081, Farm and Food Support Under
CRS Report R44115, A Primer on WIC: The Special
USDA’s Section 32 Program
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children
Kara Clifford Billings, Analyst in Social Policy
CRS Report R45486, Child Nutrition Programs: Current
Randy Alison Aussenberg, Specialist in Nutrition
Issues
Assistance Policy
IF10266
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Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview
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