A bill to amend the National School Lunch Act to assure that Federal financial assistance to the child nutrition programs is maintained at the level budgeted for fiscal year ending June 30, 1973.
Public Law 93-13 · H.R. 4278 · 93rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on Mar 30, 1973 · Education
Sponsor: Rep. Carl Perkins (D-KY-7)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Provides that as of March 15, 1973, the Secretary of Agriculture shall make an estimate of the value of agricultural commodities and other food products that will be delivered during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1973, to States for school food service programs. States that, if such estimate is less than 90 percent of the amount which the Department of Agriculture had originally planned to deliver to schools, the Secretary shall pay to State educational agencies by no later than April 15, 1973, an amount of funds equal to the difference between the initial estimate and the amount to be delivered during fiscal year 1973, as determined on March 15, 1973.
Requires this amount to be distributed to the States according to their ratio of meals served during fiscal year 1972 under the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Provides for a withholding of funds for programs in nonprofit, private schools in any State in which the Secretary is directly administering the program.
Authorizes the Secretary to provide additional funds for school lunch and breakfast programs from funds appropriated for surplus food removal and price support programs.
Provides that funds distributed under this Act shall not be subject to the State matching requirements for school lunch programs. (Amends 42 U.S.C. 1755)
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Mar 30, 1973Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-13.
- Mar 20, 1973PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Mar 15, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-76.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-76.
- Mar 14, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Mar 12, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Mar 6, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Mar 5, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #32 (352-7).House roll call 32
- Mar 1, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Education and Workforce Committee
- Feb 8, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.