March 4, 2004

ACTION ALERT: Child Nutrition Bill
Headed to the House Floor
TAKE ACTION | Analysis
House Reauthorization Timeline

On the morning of March 4th, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Education Reform marked up (deliberated) and reported out (passed) H.R. 3873, "The Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act." The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE), is expected to be passed by the full committee next week and brought to the House Floor for a vote soon after.

Differences over a few remaining provisions need to be worked out (hopefully prior to the full committee mark up scheduled for next week) in order for this to be a bipartisan bill. Committee staff and advocates are working towards that goal.

The positive changes made by the bill are modest -- less than we hoped -- but there are several of them. Except for one or two items, all changes are in the right direction. There may be an opportunity to get a consensus on more improvements by the time the full committee marks up the bill.

TAKE ACTION

Full Committee mark-up is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10th. Urge your Members on the House Education and Workforce Committee to support efforts under discussion to:

1. Extend the Lugar Summer Food Pilots (for all types of sponsors) to additional (possibly all) states;

2. Expand CACFP eligibility to more homes in rural areas where 40% of children (rather than 50%) are eligible for free or reduced price meals; and

3. Add protections to the verification process that would protect eligible children from dropping off the program without adding additional paperwork burdens on schools and other stakeholders.

ANALYSIS of H.R. 3873

Click here for the latest analysis of this bill.

House Reauthorization Timeline

Tuesday, March 2, 2004: Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) introduces H.R. 3873, "The Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act."

Thursday, March 4, 2004: Subcommittee Markup of H.R. 3873, "The Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act." 10:15am, 2175 Rayburn House Office Building. LIVE WEBCAST

Wednesday, March 10, 2004: Full Committee Markup of H.R. 3873, "The Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act." 10:30am, 2175 Rayburn House Office Building. LIVE WEBCAST

• Click here for the version of the bill that passed the full committee. Please note that this version does not include the amendments offered by Chairman Boehner on March 10th and subsequently passed by the committee.

Click here to return to FRAC's Child Nutrition Reauthorization website.

Factsheets on Child Nutrition Programs School Breakfast  |  School Lunch  |  Afterschool  |  Summer Food Women, Infants, and Children  |  Child and Adult Care Food Program

Prepared by the Food Research & Action Center, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202-986-2200; www.frac.org