School Food Modernization Act
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
School Food Modernization Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies (LEAs) participating in the school lunch program, tribal organizations, or consortia of such entities to finance the construction, remodeling, or expansion of infrastructure or the purchase of durable equipment that will facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school breakfast and lunch programs. Requires the Secretary to give a preference to applicants that, compared with other applicants, demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need for food service infrastructure or durable equipment. Prohibits a loan guarantee from covering more than 90% of a loan's principal.
Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to direct the Secretary to award competitive grants to assist LEAs participating in the school lunch program, tribal organizations, or consortia of such entities in purchasing the durable equipment and infrastructure they need to serve healthier meals and improve food safety. Gives grant priority to applicants that serve a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price meals under the school lunch program.
Directs the Secretary to award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to meet updated school lunch program nutrition standards.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on April 26, 2013. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 8, 2013: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
TOM LATHAM (R-IA) introduced it on April 26, 2013, and 25 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 25 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on April 26, 2013, 4885 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4812 days ago, on July 8, 2013.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers