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42 USC § 1758a - State performance on enrolling children receiving program benefits for free school meals

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s1758a"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 1758a - State performance on enrolling children receiving program benefits for free school meals"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "1758a"
section_name: "State performance on enrolling children receiving program benefits for free school meals"
chapter_number: 13
chapter_name: "SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(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.)"
---

# § 1758a. State performance on enrolling children receiving program benefits for free school meals

**(a)** **In general** December 31, 20087 U.S.C. 2011

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.

**(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 (42 U.S.C. 1751 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 (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a)(1)) 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.

---

**Source Credit**: (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.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (a), is , , , 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  and Tables.

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is , , which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under  and Tables.

### Codification

and  enacted identical sections.  was repealed by .

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.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### 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 Eighteenth Congress, .

### Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of  by  effective , the date of enactment of , except as otherwise provided, see , set out as a note under , Agriculture.

Section effective , see , set out as an Effective Date of 2008 Amendment note under , The Congress.

### Definition of “Secretary”

“Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, see , Agriculture.