Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill of 2004
For the full text of the bill, go to www.thomas.loc.gov
and search for S2507.
Here is a summary of the bill courtesy of the National Alliance
of Nutrition and Activity (NANA):
1. Nutrition Education
The bill authorizes a new school nutrition education infrastructure
component, creating state-level “Team Nutrition Networks.”
It authorizes grants to states to promote healthy eating and physical
activity in schools. States receiving funding through this program
are required to appoint state-level coordinators to facilitate nutrition
education within and across schools within their state. While this
authorizing language is a good start, the program will need to be
funded through the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.
2. Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program
The bill provides $9 million in mandatory funding for the Fruit
and Vegetable Program, which provides free fruit and vegetable snacks
to students in schools. The bill enables the program to continue
in the four states and one Indian reservation already participating.
It also provides funding for four additional states and two additional
Indian reservations to participate in the program.
3. Milk
The bill requires schools to offer fluid milk in a variety of fat
contents and allows them to offer lactose-free milk and soy milk
if a student’s parent, guardian, or physician sends a note
requesting it. The milk provision is a modest improvement over the
existing law that was a de facto requirement that schools serve
whole milk.
4. Junk Food in Schools (Competitive Foods)
The sale of low-nutrition foods outside of the school meal programs
was the central point of heated debate in both the House and Senate
Committee markups of the child nutrition bill, and it was one of
the final issues to be resolved in the bill negotiations between
the House and Senate. During the reauthorization process, a number
of committed champions for removing junk food from schools were
cultivated and emerged in the House and Senate (including Reps.
Woolsey, Ryan, and Miller). One key champion is Sen. Tom Harkin,
who offered an amendment on junk food in schools in the Agriculture
Committee markup of the bill and planned to offer it on the Senate
floor as well. He was able to secure a deal in which two out of
three of the amendment’s provisions were included in the final
child nutrition bill, so he chose to not offer his amendment on
the Senate floor.
One component of the Harkin amendment included in the bill requires
each local educational agency participating in the school meal programs
to develop a local school wellness policy by the summer of 2006.
The local school wellness policies should include goals for nutrition
education, physical activity, nutrition guidelines for all foods
sold on school campus during the school day, and a plan for measuring
implementation of the wellness policy. Parents, students, school
food authorities, school boards, school administrators, and the
public are all to be involved in developing the local school wellness
policies. The other part of the Harkin amendment included in the
bill is $4 million for the USDA to work with local education agencies
on establishing healthy school nutrition environments, reducing
childhood obesity, and preventing chronic disease related to diet.
5. WIC
The bill includes language recommending that the USDA Secretary
review and revise the contents of the WIC food package “as
frequently as determined to be necessary” to reflect current
nutrition science.
6. Nutritional Quality of Meals
Under the Team Nutrition Network section, the bill authorizes grants
to selected local educational agencies to promote healthy eating
and physical activity among students. These grants can be used for,
among other activities, marketing healthful foods through salad
bars and fruit bars, and otherwise encouraging the increased consumption
of healthful foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
low-fat dairy products. Grants may also be used for training food
service professionals in developing more appealing and nutritious
meals.
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