What This Bill Does
This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to change requirements for local school wellness policies. The changes add mental health promotion and education to school wellness policies alongside existing requirements for physical activity and nutrition.
Who It Affects
Schools and school districts that participate in federal lunch programs must update their wellness policies. Registered dietitians, school-based mental health services providers and school administrators will be involved in developing these policies.
Key Provisions
* Schools must include mental health promotion and education in their local wellness policies (Sec. 2)
* Schools must address both obesity and eating disorders in their wellness policies (Sec. 2)
* Schools must establish a multidisciplinary team of school personnel to lead the development, implementation and periodic review of their local wellness policy (Sec. 2)
* School wellness policies must promote mental health, encourage mental health assessments and establish resilient school environments (Sec. 2)
What Changes
The bill adds mental health as a required component of school wellness policies. Schools must now include registered dietitians and school-based mental health services providers in policy development. The bill extends a review timeline from 2014 to 2026.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 754
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to modify
requirements for local school wellness policies.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 9, 2023
Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Ms. LUMMIS) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nu-
trition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch
Act to modify requirements for local school wellness policies.
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.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Mental
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Health and Wellness in Schools Act’’.
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SEC. 2. LOCAL SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY.
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Section 9A of the Richard B. Russell National School
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Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758b) is amended—
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(1) in subsection (b)—
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(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘mental
1
health promotion and education,’’ after ‘‘phys-
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ical activity,’’;
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(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘obe-
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sity;’’ and inserting ‘‘obesity and eating dis-
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orders;’’;
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(C) in paragraph (3)—
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(i) by striking ‘‘agency permit’’ and
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inserting the following: ‘‘agency—
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‘‘(A) permit’’;
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(ii) in subparagraph (A) (as so des-
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ignated)—
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(I) by inserting ‘‘registered dieti-
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tians, school-based mental health serv-
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ices providers,’’ after ‘‘school adminis-
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trators,’’; and
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(II) by adding ‘‘and’’ after the
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semicolon at the end; and
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(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
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lowing:
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‘‘(B) establish a multidisciplinary team of
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school personnel to lead the development, imple-
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mentation, and periodic review and updating of
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the local school wellness policy;’’; and
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•S 754 IS
(D) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking ‘‘1’’
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and inserting ‘‘2’’; and
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(2) in subsection (d)—
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(A) in paragraph (1)—
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(i) by inserting ‘‘in consultation with
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the Administrator of the Substance Abuse
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and Mental Health Services Administra-
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tion,’’ after ‘‘Prevention,’’; and
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(ii) by inserting ‘‘school-based mental
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health services providers (when available),’’
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after ‘‘school food authorities,’’;
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(B) in paragraph (2)(C)—
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(i) by striking ‘‘required to promote’’
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and inserting the following: ‘‘required—
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‘‘(i) to promote’’; and
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(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
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lowing:
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‘‘(ii) to promote mental health, en-
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courage mental health assessments, and es-
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tablish resilient school environments; and’’;
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and
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(C) in paragraph (3)—
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(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
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‘‘Prevention,’’ and inserting ‘‘Prevention
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and the Administrator of the Substance
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Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin-
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istration,’’;
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(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking
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‘‘2014,’’ and inserting ‘‘2026,’’; and
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(iii) by striking subparagraph (D).
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Æ
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