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HR 4249 113th Congress House

Helping Hungry Students Learn Act

Official title: To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to expand and improve Federal programs to reduce child hunger.

Introduced: September 18, 2014 Introduced by: Titus, Dina Democratic · Nevada See on congress.gov
Education Elementary and secondary educationFood assistance and reliefPoverty and welfare assistance
This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 13, 2014
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Mar 13, 2014
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Mar 13, 2014
Introduced in House
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 Latest action June 13, 2014

Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Helping Hungry Students Learn Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (Russell Act) to raise the eligibility level for free lunches under the school lunch program to 185% of the poverty level. (Currently it is set at 130%.)

Eliminates reduced price lunches, for which eligibility is currently set at 185% of the poverty level.

Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require schools participating in the school breakfast program to provide a free breakfast to each student who desires one. Sets the national average payment for each breakfast served to any child at the national average payment for each free breakfast served during the school year.

Requires states to provide additional assistance, in the form of higher breakfast reimbursement rates, to schools in which there is an alternative breakfast serving model to increase participation in the school breakfast program, such as by serving breakfast in the classroom or having a school breakfast cart.

Amends the Russell Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to award grants to assist states with the initial costs of participating in a summer electronic benefits transfer for children program to improve children's access to food during the summer months.

Directs the Secretary to implement a pilot program providing commodities, on a competitive basis, to states to enable nonprofits to serve nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year. (At-risk school children are those who participate in the school lunch program and reside in an area served by a school in which at least 50% of the students receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs.) Includes elementary and secondary schools, school food authorities, food banks or pantries, homeless shelters, and other Secretary-approved emergency feeding agencies as eligible nonprofit program participants. Requires the nonprofits serving such commodities to satisfy safe food storage, handling, and delivery standards established by the Secretary.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4249: Helping Hungry Students Learn Act. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4249/
MLA
"H.R. 4249: Helping Hungry Students Learn Act." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4249/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4249, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4249/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4249: Helping Hungry Students Learn Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-4249/)
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