	Introduction

The "child nutrition programs" (National School Lunch Program and certain other institutional food service programs) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) were last reauthorized in 2010. Some of the authorities created or extended in that last reauthorization law (Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 [ P.L. 111-296 ]) expired on September 30, 2015, but the vast majority of operations and activities continue because appropriations laws continued funding. Although the formal legislative process must begin anew with the new Congress, 114 th Congress child nutrition reauthorization issues, proposals, and controversies may still influence policymaking in the new Congress; thus, background on these child nutrition reauthorization proposals may remain of interest. Current Status of Program Operations

The "child nutrition programs" (National School Lunch Program [NSLP] and certain other institutional food service programs) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are primarily authorized by two statutes, the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (codified at 42 U.S.C. Also, many of the programs' authorizations of appropriations are permanent; these include NSLP, the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). In 2016, both committees of jurisdiction—the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce—completed reauthorization legislation: S. 3136 and H.R. 5003 , respectively. On January 20, 2016, by a unanimous voice vote, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry voted to report its WIC and child nutrition reauthorization proposal. On April 20, 2016, Representative Todd Rokita, chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016 ( H.R. On May 18, 2016, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up H.R. The committee approved the bill, 20 to 14, largely along partisan lines. However, the House committee's proposal (§109) included a demonstration project for up to three states to receive a block grant in place of the open-ended funding (though still mandatory and appropriated). The Senate committee's proposal included a number of provisions that would have or could have affected the current nutrition standards regulations and their implementation: 
Change whole grains and sodium meal standards. Following related testimony in multiple 114 th Congress committee hearings, as well as the introduction of a number of freestanding proposals, the Senate and House committees' proposals would have piloted or expanded a number of alternatives for feeding low-income children during the summer months. Summer EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer)34

Both proposals addressed the provision of benefits via EBT to children that are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals over the summer months. 113-79 ), the fruit and vegetable snacks served through this program must be fresh—not frozen, dried, or canned. Eligibility and Certification of Participants

Only the Senate committee's proposal would have made changes to child eligibility and the certification period for infants: 
Child eligibility. Both committees' proposals did include similar changes to the calculation of income in the WIC program:
Income eligibility calculation. Changes to competitive bidding for infant formula and infant foods. Transition to EBT. For certain policies that were in the House committee's proposal but not the Senate committee's proposal, CBO estimated (in outlays over the 10-year budget window of FY2017-FY2026) that, if enacted, 
the block grant demonstration project ("State Administration of Child Nutrition Programs") would not have affect ed direct spending as no states are expected to participate; increases to the threshold for CEP participation would have resulted in 6,500 schools no longer participating in CEP, fewer students in those schools participating at free and paid meal rates, and a reduc tion of direct spending by approximately $1.6 billion; and increases to SBP reimbursements would have increase d direct spending by $801 million. In some of the areas where both proposals would have amended policy, CBO estimates (in outlays over the 10-year budget window of FY2017-FY2026) the following for the House committee's proposal, if enacted:
changes to school meals' application verification requirements would have reduce d direct spending by $261 million; discretionary funding for school meals equipment grants would have increased participation in the school meals programs, increasing direct spending by $42 million; changes to the provision of summer meals (including streamlining with CACFP, off-site consumption, and demonstration projects) would have increase d direct spending by $929 million; increases to the Farm to School Grant Program's mandatory funding would have increase d direct spending by $49 million; and changes to CACFP (all changes in §108) would have reduce d direct spending by $33 million.
The "child nutrition programs" (National School Lunch Program [NSLP] and certain other institutional food service programs) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) were last reauthorized by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA, P.L. 111-296). Some of the authorities created or extended in the last reauthorization law expired on September 30, 2015, but the vast majority of operations and activities continue because appropriations laws continued funding.
In the 114th Congress, both committees of jurisdiction—the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce—completed markups of reauthorization legislation but did not complete reauthorization. (At the final adjournment of a Congress, all legislation that has not yet been sent to the President dies. When the new Congress convenes, the formal legislative process must begin anew.)
Legislative activity in the 114th Congress, though historical, may provide helpful background for the 115th Congress. On January 20, 2016, by a unanimous voice vote, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry voted to report its WIC and child nutrition reauthorization proposal, the Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016 (later introduced as S. 3136). On May 18, 2016, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up its reauthorization proposal, the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016 (H.R. 5003). The committee approved the bill, 20 to 14, largely along partisan lines.
While both proposals would have extended authorities and included many of the same policies, the House committee's proposal would have made three major policy changes to the school meals programs that are not in the Senate committee's proposal: (1) a demonstration project for up to three states to receive a block grant in lieu of funding from a number of open-ended child nutrition programs, (2) a higher threshold for school participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and (3) increased reimbursement rates for the School Breakfast Program.
In other school meal policies, both proposals included different changes to school meal nutrition standards, including whole grain and sodium requirements. The proposals would both have revamped the current law procedures for the verification of household applications for free and reduced-price school meals.
The Senate and House committees' proposals would have piloted or expanded a number of alternatives for feeding low-income children during the summer months through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Proposals would have streamlined SFSP with afterschool meals and snacks and created off-site alternatives to the congregate feeding site model. Both proposals included a continuation of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) pilot, although the Senate committee would have expanded it and made it permanent.
The proposals are similar in their policy changes for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Farm to School Grant Program.
Both proposals would have expanded the types of snacks served through the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. They would each have expanded offerings beyond fresh to frozen, dried, and canned, although the Senate committee's proposal would have done so in a more limited way.
Both proposals included a number of changes to Special Supplemental Nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) policy. Only the Senate committee would have raised the age of child eligibility and increased infant certification periods. Both proposed changes to income eligibility calculation, WIC-eligible foods policy, integrity of benefit redemption, transition to EBT, and competitive bidding for infant formula and foods.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the Senate committee's proposal would have increased the deficit by $1.1 billion over 10 years (FY2016-FY2025) and that the House committee's proposal would have reduced the deficit by $67 million over 10 years (FY2017-FY2026).