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A bill to amend the National School Lunch Act to require eligibility for free lunches to be based on the nonfarm income poverty guidelines prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget.

Public Law 100-356 · S. 2156 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jun 28, 1988 · Agriculture and Food

Sponsor: Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)

Cosponsors (42): Sen. Patrick Leahy,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Amends the National School Lunch Act to require that eligibility for free lunches under the school lunch program be based on the nonfarm income poverty guidelines prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary), when paying cash to school districts for losses resulting from a change in methodology in a study of alternatives under the commodity distribution program, to base calculation of such losses on the actual amount of assistance received under the National School Lunch Act during the 1981-1982 school year (including assistance in the form of additional commodities or of cash or commodity letters of credit). Repeals a limitation on the authorization of appropriations for such compensation. Requires eligible school districts to submit loss claims within one year after enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretary to complete action on any such claim within 45 days after receipt.

Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to revise provisions relating to the allocation of funds under the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Permits State agencies, following implementation of an approved cost-saving strategy, to convert additional funds initially allocated for program food purchases to nutrition services and administration funds. Limits such additional converted funds to an amount sufficient to ensure no more than a two percent annual decrease in the administrative grant per person if a larger decrease would otherwise result from increased program participation due to the State's cost-saving system. Limits supplemental foods expenditures during the succeeding fiscal year, under an approved cost-savings strategy, to not more than five percent of the supplemental foods funds allocated to an agency in the fiscal year in which the system is implemented.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.

  1. Jun 28, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-356.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jun 17, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Jun 13, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
  5. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  6. May 27, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  7. Apr 25, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  8. Apr 20, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  9. Apr 5, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Research, Nutrition, and General Legislation Subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  10. Mar 4, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  11. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.