Yesterday the good news for parents and schools hoping for healthy eating for America’s youth was that H.R. 5504 (a.k.a. the “Improving Nutrition For America’s Children Act”) passed in the House of Representatives. Now it faces the Senate and the issue of whether funding can be approved ($10 billion over 8 years!).
There’s ANOTHER bill on the radar as well, in case you didn’t know: H.R. 3307 (a.k.a. “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010). This bill is chock-full of improvements needed to be made to continue and improving the National School Lunch Program and for healthy eating in schools in general. This bill is on the Senate’s calendar, but may not get approved this week before the month-long recess.
Seriously, Congress? A month-long recess? That’s what the fat kids of America need, NOT YOU!
President Obama’s original request for funding ($10 billion) for improvements in Child Nutrition fell short for H.R. 3307 when it went through the Senate Agricultural Committee: passing with funding being approved so far for only $4.5 billion. I’d supply the rest but my private jet is in the shop and I just ordered a new platinum grill for my MOUTH.
The Senate needs to get its act together ASAP. Want to see how awesome this bill is? Check it out:
- $20 million in grants provided for Summer Food Service Program expansion.
- Increases the number of Summer Food Service Program sites.
- Child and Adult Care Food Program expands suppers to all 50 states.
- Foster children made automatically eligible for free school meals.
- Elimination of paper applications which makes access easier
- Mandatory funding for pilot projects that will provide nutritious food to hungry children.
- Increases the federal reimbursement rate of school meals by 6 cents per meal.
- Provides funding for farm-to-school programs.
- Expands WIC certification to 12 months.
How is this different from H.R. 5504? Both bills take much-needed steps towards expanding outreach to more children and providing more accessibility to healthy food options. Both bills have measures to make efficiency improvements in current programs, reduce childhood obesity, and increase the federal meal reimbursement rate.
You’ve got one month until recess, Congress. Get crackin’! Class dismissed.
About Patrick Sanders