	Background

Child nutrition programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,Infants, and Children (the WIC program) are governed by three basic federal laws: (1) 
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act . Only one significant law governing child nutrition programs (e.g., school mealprograms) and the WIC program has been (or is likely to be) enacted in the 108th and 109thCongresses -- the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 ( P.L. 108-265 ) on June 30, 2004. The final productencompassed some $395 million in new gross spending through FY2009; however, this wasfinanced with an estimated $163 million in savings achieved primarily by revisions to thesystem for certifying and verifying eligibility for free and reduced-price school meals (seeimmediately below). As to school meal program operations, few changes were made (e.g., expansion ofeligibility for homeless, runaway, and migrant children and youth, loosened rules for higher"severe need" school breakfast subsidies). And, a major (and costly) proposal to phase inhigher income eligibility limits for free school meals was limited to authorization for a smallpilot project. While a number of federally led options were offered,in the end, the most significant change was a requirement that all schools participating inschool meal programs establish locally designed "wellness policies" to tackle obesity- andnutrition/health-related issues (like competitive foods and students' physical activity), withfederal technical assistance and other support. In related amendments, the program offeringfree fresh fruit and vegetables operating in selected schools in a few states was expanded andmade permanent, and important changes were made to food safety rules. Small changes also were made in the Summer Food Service and Child and Adult CareFood programs -- for example, making permanent and expanding the coverage ofpre-existing "simplified summer program" (so-called "Lugar") rules that make it easier forsummer program sponsors to participate, making permanent and nationally applicable apre-existing rule loosening eligibility requirements for for-profit child care centers wishingto participate in the Child and Adult Care Food program. Finally, a large number of revisions were made to the WIC program, but the mostsignificant were several aimed at strengthening rules containing food costs incurred by theprogram. Of these, the most controversial was a new provision placing substantial limits onvendors receiving the majority of their revenue from WIC vouchers (so-called "WIC-only"stores). The 2004 reauthorization law extended virtually all expiring child nutrition and WICappropriations authorizations and other authorities through FY2009. Additional Administrative Reviews. (9)
Pilot Expansion of Eligibility for Free School Meals. Nutrition, Health, and NutritionEducation. Nutrition Education/Promotion. Summer Food Service Program. Child and Adult Care Food Program(CACFP). Provides for the expansion of the CACFP.
Child nutrition programs (e.g., school meal programs, summer food service, child care foodprograms) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (theWIC Program) are subject to periodic comprehensive reviews, when appropriations and otherauthorities expire and have to be reauthorized. They were up for reauthorization review in the 108thCongress, and the only substantial child nutrition-WIC legislation in the 108th Congress, and so farin the 109th Congress, has been the 2004 reauthorization law -- the Child Nutrition and WICReauthorization Act of 2004, P.L. 108-265 , enacted June 30, 2004.
The 2004 law extended virtually all expiring authorities through FY2009 and containedimportant, but incremental, changes in child nutrition programs and the WIC program; theCongressional Budget Office estimated that it will generate net new spending totaling about $230million through FY2009. Its major feature was a set of amendments aimed at improving the integrityand administration of the school meal programs. Significant changes were made in proceduresrelating to the way children's eligibility for free and reduced-price school meals is certified andverified, and new initiatives to upgrade schools' administration of their meal programs were put inplace. However, minimal revisions were made to the school meal programs themselves -- forexample, expansion of eligibility for homeless, runaway, and migrant children, loosened rules forcertain higher school breakfast subsidies -- and a major proposal to phase in higher income eligibilitylimits for free school meals was limited to an authorization for a pilot project. Relatively minoramendments also affected the Summer Food Service and Child and Adult Care Food programs --for example, making permanent and expanding coverage of "Lugar" rules facilitating participationby summer program sponsors and making permanent and nationally applicable a rule looseningChild and Adult Care Food program eligibility rules for for-profit child care centers.
Another area of concern addressed by the reauthorization law was nutrition, health, andnutrition education. Here, the biggest initiative was a requirement that all schools participating inschool meal programs establish locally designed "wellness policies" to set nutrition, physical activity,and other goals and strategies for meeting them. Coupled with it were (1) authorizations for newnutrition education efforts, (2) an expansion of the program offering free fresh fruit and vegetablesin selected schools, and (3) significant changes in food safety rules.
Finally, a large number of revisions were made to the law governing the WIC program. Themost important among them were amendments aimed at strengthening rules that help contain foodcosts incurred by the program; these included provisions placing substantial limits on vendorsreceiving the majority of their revenue from WIC vouchers (so-called "WIC-only" stores).
This report will be updated as events and legislation warrant.