I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 1967
To rename the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, and for
other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH6, 2025
Mrs. W
ATSONCOLEMAN(for herself, Mr. GREENof Texas, Mr. CARSON, Mr.
C
OHEN, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. EVANSof Pennsylvania, Ms.
N
ORTON, Ms. CLARKEof New York, Ms. MCCLELLAN, Mrs. MCIVER,
and Ms. T
LAIB) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Workforce
A BILL
To rename the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Renaming the National 4
School Lunch Program Act of 2025’’. 5
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6
Congress finds the following: 7
(1) That Jean E. Fairfax was a civil rights ac-8
tivist who— 9
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(A) was born to parents who were the first 1
in their family to be legally free; 2
(B) fought for equitable educational ac-3
cess, challenged systemic employment discrimi-4
nation, and led influential federal policy innova-5
tions in all realms to support working class and 6
marginalized peoples; 7
(C) assisted Black families navigating 8
school integration after the ruling of Brown v. 9
Board of Education; 10
(D) joined the National Association for the 11
Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense 12
Fund and established the Division of Legal In-13
formation and Community Service; and 14
(E) continued to serve her community 15
through civil rights work and philanthropy after 16
retirement. 17
(2) It is evidenced that Jean E. Fairfax con-18
tributed greatly to the National School Lunch Pro-19
gram in an equitable manner through— 20
(A) organizing five national women’s orga-21
nizations and creating the Committee on School 22
Lunch Participation to study the National 23
School Lunch Program; 24
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(B) testifying before Congress on multiple 1
occasions to reveal that the implementation of 2
the National School Lunch Program was failing 3
to reach children that needed it most; 4
(C) advocating for increased funding of the 5
National School Lunch Program to serve chil-6
dren in areas of concentrated poverty that were 7
disproportionately minorities; and 8
(D) having her findings incorporated in 9
National School Lunch Program reform legisla-10
tion that led to the program becoming more in-11
clusive. 12
(3) The National School Lunch Program is 13
named after an individual who— 14
(A) objected to anti-lynching bills and civil 15
rights legislation in Congress and affirmed his 16
belief in white supremacy; 17
(B) opposed school integration and was a 18
contributor to the creation of the Southern 19
Manifesto; 20
(C) dismissed concerns of child-welfare ad-21
vocates, civil rights activists, and women-led or-22
ganizations during debate over the implementa-23
tion of the National School Lunch Program; 24
and 25
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(D) believed that segregation should be 1
maintained while implementing the National 2
School Lunch Program. 3
SEC. 3. RENAMING OF RICHARD B. RUSSELL NATIONAL 4
SCHOOL LUNCH ACT. 5
(a) S
HORTTITLE.—The first section of the Richard 6
B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 7
note) is amended by striking ‘‘Richard B. Russell National 8
School Lunch Act’’ and inserting ‘‘Jean E. Fairfax Na-9
tional School Lunch Act’’. 10
(b) C
ONFORMINGAMENDMENTS.—Each of the fol-11
lowing provisions of law is amended by striking ‘‘Richard 12
B. Russell National School Lunch Act’’ and inserting 13
‘‘Jean E. Fairfax National School Lunch Act’’: 14
(1) Sections 3(a)(2)(C), 3(b)(1)(A)(iii)(III), 15
3(e)(1)(D)(iii)(III), 17(b)(2), and 18(3)(A) of the 16
Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC 17
Amendments of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 612c note). 18
(2) Section 5(l)(2)(D) of the Agriculture and 19
Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c 20
note). 21
(3) Section 10603(b) of the Farm Security and 22
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 612c–4(b)). 23
(4) Sections 4301(b)(2), 4301(b)(3), 24
4304(a)(2)(A), 4304(a)(2)(B), 4305(c), 4305(c)(1), 25
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4306(a)(3), 4306(b), 14222(b)(1), 14222(c), and 1
14222(e)(1) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy 2
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 612c–6(b)(1), 612c–6(c), 3
612c–6(e)(1) 2208 note; 42 U.S.C. 1755a, 4
1758(b)(2), 1758(b)(3), 1769a note). 5
(5) Section 404 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 6
(7 U.S.C. 1424). 7
(6) Section 282(f)(2)(b) of the Act entitled ‘‘To 8
provide for further research into basic laws and 9
principles relating to agriculture and to improve and 10
facilitate the marketing and distribution of agricul-11
tural products’’, approved August 14, 1946 (7 U.S.C 12
1638a(f)(2)(b)). 13
(7) Section 201(a) of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act 14
to extend the Agricultural Trade Development and 15
Assistance Act of 1954, and for other purposes’’, ap-16
proved September 21, 1959 (7 U.S.C. 1431c(a)). 17
(8) Sections 1101(e), 2102(a), 2102(b), 18
2102(c), 2102(d)(1), 2202(a)(1), 2202(a)(2)(A), 19
2202(b), 2202(c), 2202(e)(2)(A)(ii), 2202(f)(1)(A), 20
2202(f)(1)(C), 2201(f)(1)(D), and 2202(f)(3), of the 21
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (7 U.S.C. 22
2011 note; 42 U.S.C. 1760 note). 23
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(9) Sections 11(u)(1), 11(u)(2)(A), and 1
11(u)(2)(B), of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 2
U.S.C. 2020(u)(1), 2020(u)(2)(A), 2020(u)(2)(B)). 3
(10) Section 28(a)(1)(B) of the Food Stamp 4
Act of 1964 (7 U.S.C. 2036a(a)(1)(B)). 5
(11) Section 211(a) of the Agricultural Trade 6
Suspension Adjustment Act of 1980 (title II of the 7
Agricultural Act of 1980) (7 U.S.C. 4004(a)). 8
(12) Sections 413(b)(2) and 413(b)(3) of the 9
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 10
Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7633(b)(2), 11
7633(b)(3)). 12
(13) Sections 403(c)(2)(C), 422(b)(3), 13
423(d)(3), 741(a)(1), 742(a), and 742(b)(2)(A) and 14
the caption for section 742 of the Personal Respon-15
sibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 16
1996 (8 U.S.C. 1183a note, 1613(c)(2)(C), 1615(a), 17
1615(b)(2)(A), 1632(b)(3); 42 U.S.C. 1751 note). 18
(14) Section 245A(h)(4)(A) of the Immigration 19
and Nationality Act approved June 27, 1952, (8 20
U.S.C. 1255a(h)(4)(A)). 21
(15) Section 645(a)(3)(C)(iii) of the James M. 22
Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fis-23
cal Year 2023 (10 U.S.C. 1060a note). 24
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(16) Sections 1154(a)(2)(A)(i), 1154(a)(3)(A), 1
and 2243(b) of title 10, United States Code. 2
(17) Sections 200(11)(A)(i)(II), 3
200(11)(A)(ii)(I), 200(11)(A)(ii)(II), 4
200(11)(B)(ii)(I)(bb), 404B(1)(A), 479, 5
483(a)(2)(ii)(XVII)(cc), 894(b)(1)(B), and 6
894(b)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 7
U.S.C. 1021(11)(A)(i)(II), 1021(11)(A)(ii)(I), 8
1021(11)(A)(ii)(II), 1021(11)(B)(ii)(I)(bb), 1070a– 9
22(d)(1)(A), 1087ss(d)(2)(C), 1090 note, 10
1161y(b)(1)(B), 1161y(b)(5)). 11
(18) Section 444 of the Elementary and Sec-12
ondary Education Amendments of 1967 (20 U.S.C. 13
1232g(b)(1)(K)). 14
(19) Sections 1113(a)(5)(A), 2221(b)(3)(B)(i), 15
4611(d)(2)(B), and 7003(b)(2)(B)(i)(III)(bb)(BB) 16
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 17
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)(A), 6641(b)(3)(B)(i), 18
7261(d)(2)(B), 7703(b)(2)(B)(i)(III)(bb)(BB)). 19
(20) Section 6122(3) of the America COM-20
PETES Act (20 U.S.C. 9832(3)). 21
(21) Section 423(j)(2)(D) of the Federal Food, 22
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C 350l(j)(2)(D)). 23
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(22) Section 3(36)(A)(iv) of the Workforce In-1
novation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 2
3102(36)(A)(iv)). 3
(23) Section 3803(c)(2)(C)(xiii) of title 31, 4
United States Code. 5
(24) Section 252(i) of the Juvenile Justice and 6
Delinquency Prevention Act 1974 (34 U.S.C. 7
11162(i)). 8
(25) Section 402a(f)(2)(A) of title 37, United 9
States Code. 10
(26) Section 113(e)(8)(A) of title 40, United 11
States Code. 12
(27) Sections 722(b)(3)(A)(i), 722(b)(3)(B)(i), 13
722(b)(3)(C)(i), 722(b)(3)(D)(i), 722(d)(3), 14
722(d)(4)(A), 722(d)(5), 722(d)(7), 722(d)(11)(A), 15
and 722(d)(13) of title VII of division N and section 16
904(a)(6)(B) of title IX of division N of the Consoli-17
dated Appropriations Act, 2021 (42 U.S.C. 1751 18
note; 47 U.S.C. 1752(a)(6)(B)). 19
(28) Sections 222(3), 307(b)(1), 307(b)(1)(A), 20
307(b)(2), and 336(a) of the Healthy, Hunger-Free 21
Kids Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1751 note, 1766 note). 22
(29) Sections 2(4), 125, 301(a), 301(b)(1), 23
301(a), 301(b)(1), 301(b)(2), and 301(b)(3) of the 24
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Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994 1
(42 U.S.C. 1751 note). 2
(30) Sections 2(a)(1), 2(d)(1), 2(d)(2), 3(a)(1), 3
and 3(b) of the Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 (42 4
U.S.C. 1753 note, 1760 note, 1766 note). 5
(31) Sections 4033(b)(3)(B), 4213(c), 6
4213(c)(1), and 4214(a) of the Agricultural Act of 7
2014 (25 U.S.C. 1685(b)(3)(B); 42 U.S.C. 8
1755b(c); 1755b(c)(1), 1769a note). 9
(32) Section 4207(a)(1) of the Agriculture Im-10
provement Act of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 1760 note). 11
(33) Sections 1107(a), 1107(b), and 1107(c)(1) 12
of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (42 13
U.S.C. 1766 note). 14
(34) Sections 119(i), 119(j)(1), and 15
119(j)(3)(C) of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reau-16
thorization Act of 2004 (42 U.S.C. 1766 note). 17
(35) Sections 3(a)(1), 3(a)(2), 3(a)(5), 3(b), 18
4(b)(1)(B), 4(b)(2)(B)(ii), 4(b)(3), 4(b)(4), 19
4(e)(1)(A), 7(a)(1)(A), 7(a)(2)(A), 7(a)(3), 7(a)(4), 20
7(a)(6), 7(a)(7), 7(a)(8), 7(a)(9)(A), 7(e)(3), 7(f), 21
7(g)(1)(A)(ii)(I), 7(g)(1)(B), 7(g)(1)(D)(i), 22
7(g)(1)(D)(ii), 7(h)(2)(A), 7(i)(3)(A), 7(i)(3)(B)(ii), 23
10(a), 10(b)(1)(a), 10(c), 11, 13, 16(b), 19(d), 24
19(h)(3)(D), 19(h)(5)(B)(vi), and 23(d)(2) of the 25
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Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1772(a)(1), 1
1772(a)(2), 1772(a)(5), 1772(b), 1773(b)(1)(B), 2
1773(b)(2)(B)(ii), 1773(b)(3), 1773(b)(4), 3
1773(e)(1)(A), 1776(a)(1)(A), 1776(a)(2)(A), 4
1776(a)(3), 1776(a)(4), 1776(a)(6), 1776(a)(7), 5
1776(a)(8), 1776(a)(9)(A), 1776(e)(3), 1776(f), 6
1776(g)(1)(A)(ii)(I), 1776(g)(1)(B), 7
1776(g)(1)(D)(i), 1776(g)(1)(D)(ii), 1776(h)(2)(A), 8
1776(i)(3)(A), 1776(i)(3)(B)(ii), 1779(a), 9
1779(b)(1)(a), 1779(c), 1780(c), 1782, 1785(b), 10
1788(d), 1788(h)(3)(D), 1788(h)(5)(B)(vi), 11
1793(d)(2)). 12
(36) Section 4(8)(A) of the National Science 13
Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 14
1862n note). 15
(37) Section 3(c)(6)(B) of the STEM Edu-16
cation Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 1862q(c)(6)(B)). 17
(38) Sections 658E(c)(2)(E)(i)(IV) and 18
658O(b)(3) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation 19
Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9858m(b)(3), 20
9858c(c)(2)(E)(i)(IV)). 21
(39) Section 40541(d)(1)(B)(i) of the Infra-22
structure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 23
18831(d)(1)(B)(i)). 24
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(40) Subsection (b) of the first section of the 1
Act entitled ‘‘An Act to extend the application of 2
certain laws to American Samoa’’, as approved Sep-3
tember 25, 1962 (48 U.S.C. 1666(b)). 4
Æ
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