CARE for Kids Act of 2025 · Introduced in House (2025-07-16) · Congress.wiki

H.R. 4451

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to enhance direct certification under the school lunch program.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · July 16, 2025 · Sponsor: Mrs. Hayes · Committee: Committee on Education and Workforce

H.R. 4451

SEC. 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the or the .

SEC. 2. Enhancing direct certification

Section 9(b)(5) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act () is amended— 42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(5)
- in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting before ; and
- in subparagraph (E)—
  - in clause (i), by striking or at the end;
  - in clause (ii)—
    - (i) by striking whoand inserting whom; and
    - (ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
      - (iii) a child whose placement with a caregiver was carried out with the involvement of an agency that administers a State plan under part B or E of title IV of the Social Security Act () or a tribal child welfare agency, without regard to whether the agency is responsible for the care and placement of the child; 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
      - (iv) a child for whom an adoption assistance payment is made under section 473(a) of the Social Security Act () or under a similar State-funded or State-operated program, as determined by the Secretary; 42 U.S.C. 673(a)
      - (v) a child for whom a kinship guardianship assistance payment is made under section 473(d) of the Social Security Act () or under a similar State-funded or State-operated program, as determined by the Secretary, without regard to whether the child was previously in foster care; or 42 U.S.C. 673(d)
      - (vi) a child of a family that—
      - lives in housing dedicated to low-income families with a caregiver who is a grandparent or another older person that cares for the child full-time; or
      - receives housing or housing assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (). 25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.
  - by adding at the end the following:

SEC. 3. Extended eligibility

Section 9(b)(9) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act () is amended— 42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(9)
- by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D);
  - (C) Eligibility of transferred children
    - (i) In this subparagraph, the term covered child means a child that—
    - has been determined eligible for free or reduced price meals under this Act by a local educational agency (referred to in this subparagraph as the ); and original local educational agency
    - transfers to another school that is under the jurisdiction of a different local educational agency (referred to in this subparagraph as the ). new local educational agency
    - (ii) An eligibility determination made by an original local educational agency with respect to a covered child shall be transferred to, and honored by, the new local educational agency, including the period for which that determination was authorized, subject to an extension under clause (iii).
    - (iii) A new local educational agency shall honor the eligibility determination for a covered child under clause (ii) for a period that is 1 year longer than the period for which that determination was authorized by the original local educational agency if the covered child began living with a caregiver—
    - in the 12-month period preceding the date on which the covered child is enrolled in a school under the jurisdiction of a new local educational agency; and
    - who is—
    - a grandparent or other relative and has legal authority to secure services for the child through an educational or healthcare consent affidavit, power of attorney, or other legal documentation; or
    - a grandparent or other relative and has legal custody of the child or has commenced the process of seeking legal custody of the child in a court of law.
- by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
- in subparagraph (D) (as so redesignated)—
  - by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
  - in the matter preceding subclause (I) (as so redesignated), by striking Except asand all that follows through and inserting the following:
    - (i) Except as otherwise specified in clause (ii), subparagraph (C), subparagraphs (E) and (H)(ii) of paragraph (3)
    - (ii) A school food authority shall extend the eligibility determination made by a local educational agency with respect to a child for a period that is 1 year longer than the period for which that determination was authorized by the local educational agency, if the child began living with a caregiver—
    - in the 12-month period preceding the date on which the covered child is enrolled in the new school; and
    - who is—
    - a grandparent or other relative and has legal authority to secure services for the child through an educational or healthcare consent affidavit, power of attorney, or other legal documentation; or

SEC. 4. Expanding automatic eligibility

(a) In general
- Section 9(b)(12)(A) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act () is amended— 42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(12)(A)
  - by conforming the margins of clauses (iv) through (vii) to the margin of clause (iii); and
  - in clause (vii)—
    - in subclause (I), by striking or at the end;
    - in subclause (II)—
      - (i) by striking whoand inserting whom; and
      - (ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
      - a child whose placement with a caregiver was carried out with the involvement of an agency that administers a State plan under part B or E of title IV of the Social Security Act () or a tribal child welfare agency, without regard to whether the agency is responsible for the care and placement of the child; 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
      - a child for whom an adoption assistance payment is made under section 473(a) of the Social Security Act () or under a similar State-funded or State-operated program, as determined by the Secretary; 42 U.S.C. 673(a)
      - a child for whom a kinship guardianship assistance payment is made under section 473(d) of the Social Security Act () or under a similar State-funded or State-operated program, as determined by the Secretary, without regard to whether the child was previously in foster care; or 42 U.S.C. 673(d)
      - a child of a family that—
      - lives in housing dedicated to low-income families with a caregiver who is a grandparent or another older person that cares for the child full-time; or
      - receives housing or housing assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (). 25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.
    - by adding at the end the following:
(b) Conforming amendments
- Section 9(d)(2) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act () is amended— 42 U.S.C. 1758(d)(2)
  - in subparagraph (D), by striking clauses (iv) or (v)and inserting clauses (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), or (vii);
  - in subparagraph (E), by adding at the end; or
  - by striking subparagraph (F); and
  - by redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph (F) and conforming the margin of subparagraph (F) (as so redesignated) appropriately.

SEC. 5. Medicaid direct certification

Section 9(b)(15)(A)(i) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act () is amended— 42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(15)(A)(i)
- in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking and inserting the following:
  - The term
- in subclause (I), by redesignating items (aa) and (bb) as subitems (AA) and (BB), respectively;
- by redesignating subclauses (I) and (II) as items (aa) and (bb), respectively;
- in item (bb), as so redesignated, by striking regulations) with a child described in subclause (I)and inserting regulations)) with a child described in item (aa); and
  - The term includes a child that receives medical assistance under the Medicaid program— eligible child
  - under subclause (I) of section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i) of the Social Security Act () on the basis of receiving aid or assistance under the State plan approved under part E of title IV of that Act () or by reason of section 473(b) of that Act (); or 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i); 42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 673(b)
  - under subclause (II) of section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i) of that Act () on the basis of receiving supplemental security income benefits. 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i)
- by adding at the end the following: