42 U.S.C. § 1772 — Special program to encourage the consumption of fluid milk by children; authorization of appropriations; eligibility for special milk program; minimum rate of reimbursement; ineligibility of commodity only schools

There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1970, and for each succeeding fiscal year, such sums as may be necessary to enable the Secretary^* of Agriculture, under such rules and regulations as the Secretary may deem in the public interest, to encourage consumption of fluid milk by children in the United States in (A) nonprofit schools of high school grade and under, except as provided in paragraph (2), which do not participate in a meal service program authorized under this chapter or the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act [42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.], and (B) nonprofit nursery schools, child-care centers, settlement houses, summer camps, and similar nonprofit institutions devoted to the care and training of children, which do not participate in a meal service program authorized under this chapter or the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

The limitation imposed under paragraph (1)(A) for participation of nonprofit schools in the special milk program shall not apply to split-session kindergarten programs conducted in schools in which children do not have access to the meal service program operating in schools the children attend as authorized under this chapter or the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

For the purposes of this section “United States” means the fifty States, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the District of Columbia.

The Secretary shall administer the special milk program provided for by this section to the maximum extent practicable in the same manner as the Secretary administered the special milk program provided for by this chapter during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1969.

Any school or nonprofit child care institution which does not participate in a meal service program authorized under this chapter or the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act shall receive the special milk program upon its request.

Children who qualify for free lunches under guidelines set forth by the Secretary shall, at the option of the school involved (or of the local educational agency involved in the case of a public school) be eligible for free milk upon their request.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, and for subsequent school years, the minimum rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served in schools and other eligible institutions shall not be less than 5 cents per half-pint served to eligible children, and such minimum rate of reimbursement shall be adjusted on an annual basis each school year to reflect changes in the Producer Price Index for Fresh Processed Milk published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.

Such adjustment shall be computed to the nearest one-fourth cent.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in no event shall the minimum rate of reimbursement exceed the cost to the school or institution of milk served to children.

The State^* educational agency shall disburse funds paid to the State during any fiscal year for purposes of carrying out the program under this section in accordance with such agreements approved by the Secretary as may be entered into by such State agency and the schools in the State. The agreements described in the preceding sentence shall be permanent agreements that may be amended as necessary. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be construed to limit the ability of the State educational agency to suspend or terminate any such agreement in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.