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Updated August 25, 2023
Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview
Introduction
example, the law created the Community Eligibility
Child nutrition reauthorization (CNR) refers to Congress’s
Provision, an option within NSLP/SBP that allows eligible
process of making changes to the permanent statutes that
schools to provide free meals to all students. The law also
authorize the child nutrition programs, the Special
required USDA to update the nutrition standards for school
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
meals and establish nutrition standards for other foods sold
Children (WIC), and related activities:
in schools during the school day. For WIC, the law included
the requirement that states transition, by October 1, 2020,
• the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act,
from their primarily paper voucher-based WIC benefits to
• the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, and
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). In some cases, the new
• (less often) Section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935,
policies were described within the statute; in other cases,
which transfers funds to the child nutrition programs
the details were laid out in USDA-promulgated regulations.
annually.
Reauthorization Efforts
The most recent CNR was the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids
During the 117th Congress, the House Education and Labor
Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296). Some of the authorities created
Committee reported a CNR bill (H.R. 8450) out of
or extended in that law expired on September 30, 2015.
committee. The Congress ended without further action on
However, the vast majority of program operations have
the bill. Likewise, during the 114th Congress the committees
continued with funding provided by appropriations acts.
exercising jurisdiction reported CNR bills but
Programs Typically Included in CNR
reauthorization was not completed (see CRS Report
R44373, Tracking Child Nutrition Reauthorization in the
CNR typically includes WIC, the WIC Farmers’ Market
114th Congress: An Overview).
Nutrition Program (FMNP), and the following child
nutrition programs:
Categorization of Programs’ Funding
• National School Lunch Program (NSLP);
Most of the WIC and child nutrition programs’ funding
• School Breakfast Program (SBP);
requires annual appropriations:
• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP);
• Most child nutrition program funding is appropriated
• Summer Food Service Program (SFSP); and
mandatory spending based on formulas and criteria in
• Special Milk Program (SMP).
the authorizing laws (e.g., the programs’ per-meal
reimbursements).
CNR also covers a number of smaller grant programs and
•
support activities, such as the Farm to School Grant
Some smaller child nutrition grants and activities
Program and funding for states’ administrative expenses
(e.g., Team Nutrition) are funded with discretionary
associated with operating certain programs.
appropriations.
•
Table 1 provides a short description of each of the major
WIC and WIC FMNP funds are discretionary.
programs typically included in CNR.
Have the Programs Expired?
Related Policies in the Farm Bill
Many child nutrition programs are permanently authorized
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP),
and have permanent authorizations of appropriations (they
have no expiration date). This is the case for the main
authorized in the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act, has been amended by both CNR and farm bills,
functions of NSLP, SBP, CACFP, and SMP.
including the 2004 CNR and farm bills in 2008 and 2014.
In other cases—such as SFSP, WIC, WIC FMNP, and
The 2010 CNR and the 2018 farm bill did not amend FFVP.
funding for states’ administrative expenses—the authority
In addition, farm bills sometimes include provisions related
for the programs themselves is permanent, but their
to food purchasing and distribution in child nutrition
authorizations of appropriations expired on September 30,
2015. In such cases, the programs and activities may still
programs. The 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334), the most
recent farm bill, extended funding for USDA’s purchase of
operate if funding is provided in appropriations acts, which
fresh fruits and vegetables for child nutrition programs and
has been the case in each of FY2016 through FY2023.
required USDA to enforce “Buy American” (domestic
A few pilot programs and activities expired on September
purchasing) rules for schools participating in NSLP/SBP.
30, 2015, and were not always extended. A California
program to provide SFSP snacks year-round was not
Last Reauthorization
extended. USDA’s authority to conduct food safety audits
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296)
and funding for a National Hunger Clearinghouse was not
included a number of new and revised policies. For
extended in FY2016 but was subsequently extended by
appropriations acts in each of FY2017 through FY2023.
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Table 1. Child Nutrition and WIC Programs at a Glance
FY2022
FY2022
Authorizing Statute
Expenditures
Participation
(year first
(exceptions
(exceptions
Program
authorized)
Description
noted)
noted)
National School Lunch Richard B. Russell
Provides federal reimbursements for lunches $23.0 bil iona
30.1 mil iona
Program (NSLP)
National School Lunch
served in participating pre-K-12 schools.
children (daily
Act (1946)
Options for schools to provide afterschool
average)b
snacks and summer lunches.
School Breakfast
Child Nutrition Act
Provides reimbursements for breakfasts
$6.5 bil iona
15.7 mil iona
Program (SBP)
(1966)
served in participating schools. Option for
children (daily
schools to provide summer breakfasts.
average)b
Child and Adult Care
Richard B. Russell
Provides reimbursements for meals and
$3.9 bil ion
4.7 mil ion
Food Program (CACFP) National School Lunch
snacks in child care centers, day care homes,
children and
Act (1968)
and adult day care centers. Rules and funding
114,000 older
differ based on type of institution.
adults (daily
average)b
Summer Food Service
Richard B. Russell
Provides reimbursements for meals and
$600.5 milliona
2.7 mil iona
Program (SFSP)
National School Lunch
snacks served by nonprofit organizations and
children (daily
Act (1968)
schools during the summer months. Eligibility
average)b
rules vary by type of meal site.
Special Milk Program
Child Nutrition Act
Provides reimbursements for milk in schools $4.4 mil ion
78,600 half-pints
(SMP)
(1954)
and institutions that do not participate in
served on average
other child nutrition programs.
dailyc
Special Supplemental
Child Nutrition Act
Provides benefits redeemable for
$6.0 bil ion
6.3 mil ion
Nutrition Program for
(1974)
supplemental foods as well as nutrition
(FY2023
recipients
Women, Infants, and
counseling and breastfeeding support to
appropriations)d (monthly average)
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
$26.0 mil ion
1.3 mil ion
Nutrition Program
(1992)
redeem at farmers’ markets.
(FY2023
recipients total
(WIC FMNP)
appropriations)
Fresh Fruit and
Richard B. Russell
Provides funding for fresh fruit and vegetable $233.1 mil ion
Not available
Vegetable Program
National School Lunch
snacks in elementary schools, with priority for (FY2022 allocation
(FFVP)
Act (2002)
low-income schools.
to states)e
Source: Except as noted, FY2022 participation and funding data from USDA-FNS April 2023 Keydata Report. WIC and WIC FMNP FY2022
appropriations from P.L. 117-328.
a. NSLP, SBP, and SFSP expenditures and participation were higher than in a typical year due to pandemic response-related policies and
trends. For more information, see CRS Report R46681, USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
b. Average daily participation is estimated by USDA based on the number of meals served. Estimates may be less reliable in FY2022 due
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
c. Estimated by CRS based on the average number of half pints served per month divided by an estimated 20 operating days per month.
d. Division A, Title VII, Section 729 of P.L. 117-328 also rescinded approximately $315 mil ion in specified prior-year carryover funding.
e. USDA-FNS, “FFVP: Al ocation of Funds for Fiscal Year 2022,” SP 14-2021, June 1, 2021.
CRS Reports for Further Information
CRS Report R45486, Child Nutrition Programs: Issues in
the 115th Congress
CRS Report R42353, Domestic Food Assistance: Summary
of Programs
CRS Report R44373, Tracking Child Nutrition
CRS Report R46681, USDA Nutrition Assistance
Reauthorization in the 114th Congress: An Overview
Programs: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
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
Kara Clifford Billings, Analyst in Social Policy
CRS Report R44115, A Primer on WIC: The Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Randy Alison Aussenberg, Specialist in Nutrition
Children
Assistance Policy
IF10266
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Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview
Disclaimer
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