Congress is currently working on a bill that has the potential to have a historic impact for children and families in our state, supporting lifelong health and well-being. The House passed the Build Back Better (BBB) Act in mid-December, 2021, but it has stalled in the Senate. We expect Members of Congress to take up negotiations again in the next couple of months.

Although the fate of this bill is uncertain, MFBN will continue to advocate for the child nutrition priorities listed below:

• Connect more kids to free school meals by strengthening the Community Eligibility Provision.
• Close the child summer hunger gap by implementing Summer EBT nationwide.
• Continue the current expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). This provision alone is expected to reduce childhood poverty in the U.S. by a staggering 40-50%. Learn more here.
• Continue the current expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), one of our nation’s most effective anti-poverty initiatives, helping low-wage workers keep more of the money they earn.

Additionally, the Build Back Better Act includes investments in education, child care, paid family and medical leave, affordable housing, and access to healthcare. This bill is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to shape the future of this country.

Negotiations continue in the House on the size and scope of the BBB Act, with a vote in the House planned by the end of October (pushed back a month from the original September deadline.)

Make sure you are signed up to be an Anti-Hunger Advocate to receive action alerts and policy updates as we work to ensure improvements to school meals, Summer EBT, the Child Tax Credit, and other anti-poverty priorities are included in the final bill.

Child Nutrition Reauthorization

Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) is a process used by Congress to update child nutrition programs, including the summer and after school meals program, school breakfast and lunch program and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. CNR is used to set policy and funding for these programs and is typically renewed every 5 years, although it has not been updated since 2010.

A number of marker bills have been introduced by members of Congress which begin the process of updating CNR. Click the images below to learn more about the marker bills we are watching.

American Rescue Plan Act

This $1.9 trillion bill includes financial help for individuals, families, organizations and local and state governments. Information on the American Rescue Plan Act, signed by President Biden in March, can be found on the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities website.