((a)) ** In general** Not later than and June 30 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Agriculture and Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that assesses the effectiveness of each State in enrolling school-aged children in households receiving program benefits under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( et seq.) (referred to in this section as “program benefits”) for free school meals using direct certification.7 U.S.C. 2011December 31, 20082008-12-31

((b)) ** Specific measures** The assessment of the Secretary of the performance of each State shall include—

((1)) an estimate of the number of school-aged children, by State, who were members of a household receiving program benefits at any time in July, August, or September of the prior year;

((2)) an estimate of the number of school-aged children, by State, who were directly certified as eligible for free lunches under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act ( et seq.), based on receipt of program benefits, as of October 1 of the prior year; and

((3)) an estimate of the number of school-aged children, by State, who were members of a household receiving program benefits at any time in July, August, or September of the prior year who were not candidates for direct certification because on October 1 of the prior year the children attended a school operating under the special assistance provisions of section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act () that is not operating in a base year.

((c)) ** Performance innovations** The report of the Secretary shall describe best practices from States with the best performance or the most improved performance from the previous year.