Current Child Nutrition Bills

FRAC urges you to TAKE ACTION on the bills listed below. Download a list of all child nutrition bills (pdf).

The Healthy Living Starts Early Act of 2010

S. 3124 - introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Identifies the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) as a nutrition program that contributes to the healthy growth and development of young children. This legislation will improve the nutritional value of the foods served through CACFP and better promote the health and wellness of young children by:

1) Revising the nutrition standards for meals, snacks and beverages served through CACFP to make them consistent with the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines;
2) Providing education and encouragement to participating child care centers and homes to provide children with healthy meals and snacks, daily opportunities for physical activity, and to limit screen time;
3) Increasing the USDA training, technical assistance and educational materials available to child care providers, helping them to serve healthier food;
4) Authorizing ongoing research on the nutrition, health and wellness practices, as well as the barriers and facilitators to CACFP participation, in child care settings;
5) Requiring interagency coordination focused on strengthening the role of child care licensing in supporting good nutrition, health and wellness and maximizing the value of CACFP; and
6) Reducing administrative burdens for CACFP sponsors and providers.

Universal Classroom Breakfast Expansion Act

H.R. 4325 - introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (D - NY)

Establishes a grant program to help schools with high numbers of low-income children establish universal classroom breakfast programs - where all children can eat a free breakfast in their classroom at the beginning of the school day.

Ensuring All Students Year-round (EASY) Access to Meals and Snacks Act

H.R. 4274 - introduced by Representatives Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)

1) Allows local government agencies and private nonprofit organizations to feed children meals and snacks 365 days a year - after school, on weekends and school holidays, and during the summer - through the Summer Food Service Program.
2) Expands the year-round program that currently is being piloted in California to all states.
3) Allows meals and snacks to be served after school, on weekends, and during school holidays through the year-round program (currently, only snacks can be served through the California pilot).

  • TAKE ACTION - INDIVIDUALS: Send a letter asking your Member of Congress to co-sponsor the Ensuring All Students Year-round (EASY) Access to Meals and Snacks Act.
  • TAKE ACTION - ORGANIZATIONS: Sign on to this letter in support of the Ensuring All Students Year-round (EASY) Access to Meals and Snacks Act.
  • Download the fact sheet (pdf).

Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009

S. 2749 - introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
H.R. 4402 - introduced by Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY)

Enables more children in child care to have access to healthy meals and snacks provided through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

  • TAKE ACTION - INDIVIDUALS: Send a letter asking your Member of Congress to co-sponsor the Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009.
  • Download the fact sheet (pdf).

AFTERSchool Meals Act of 2009

S. 990 - introduced by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Richard Lugar (R-IN)
H.R. 3321 - introduced by Reps. Gwen Moore (D-WI) and Andre Carson (D-IN)

Expands the Afterschool Meal Program to allow children from all states to benefit from a nutritious meal after school.

Hunger Free Schools Act of 2009

S. 1343 - sponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO)

1) Expands access to child nutrition programs by requiring school districts to utilize data from Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to directly certify more students that are eligible for free school meals.
2) Improves state performance in enrolling eligible children in school lunch programs by setting a performance standard for directly certifying students for school lunch programs (reaching 95 percent of students required to be directly certified) and providing incentives to high performance states.
3) Allows schools or districts serving a high proportion of low-income children to serve free meals to all students and be reimbursed based on socioeconomic data rather than individual applications.

Paperless Enrollment for School Meals Act of 2009

S. 1226 - introduced by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) Arlen Specter (D- PA), Michael Bennett (D-Colo.)
H.R. 2803 - introduced by U.S. Representatives Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Robert Brady (D-PA)

1) Allows schools or districts that agree to serve breakfast and lunch free to all students for 5 years to be reimbursed based on socioeconomic data rather than individual student applications.
2) Makes it easier for schools serving high-poverty areas to provide free meals to all children by allowing data-based eligibility. The school or district gets administrative relief in exchange for covering any costs that exceed federal reimbursements.

  • TAKE ACTION - INDIVIDUALS: Send a letter asking your Member of Congress to co-sponsor the bill.