Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016

This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to reauthorize and modify: (1) child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and other institutional food service programs; and (2) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

The bill extends through FY2020 the authorizations for:

• the Summer Food Service Program,
• WIC,
• the WIC Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, and
• State Administrative Expenses.

(Under current law, several programs such as the NSLP and the School Breakfast Program are permanently authorized.)

For the child nutrition programs, the bill makes policy changes that:

• require the Department of Agriculture to use an expedited rulemaking process to change regulations regarding whole grain and sodium requirements for the NSLP and the School Breakfast Program;
• create a hardship exemption to temporarily permit certain schools to serve frozen, dried, or canned fruits under the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program;
• revise application verification requirements for the school meal programs; and
• permit states to provide summer meals away from a congregate site (specific sites where children come to eat and are supervised) in rural or low-income areas without access to summer service.

For WIC, the bill:

• changes rules regarding the eligibility criteria for children, the infant certification period, and income eligibility calculations;
• permits commercial availability and participant demand to be considered when amending the list of supplemental foods, and
• modifies the competitive bidding and contract award process for infant formula and infant foods.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov