1. (a) In general Not later than December 31, 2008 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 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) (referred to in this section as “program benefits”) for free school meals using direct certification.

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

   1. (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. (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 (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), based on receipt of program benefits, as of October 1 of the prior year; and
   3. (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 (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)) that is not operating in a base year.
3. (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.

(Pub. L. 110–234, title IV, § 4301, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1125; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title IV, § 4301, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1886.)

References in Text The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 88–525, Aug. 31, 1964, 78 Stat. 703, which is classified generally to chapter 51 (§ 2011 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2011 of Title 7 and Tables.

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is act June 4, 1946, ch. 281, 60 Stat. 230, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1751 of this title and Tables.

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Section was enacted as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, and not as part of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act which comprises this chapter.

Change of Name Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Jan. 5, 2011.

Effective Date Enactment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Section effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an Effective Date of 2008 Amendment note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress.

Definition of “Secretary” “Secretary” as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.