Federal

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require schools to provide fluid milk substitutes upon request of a student or the parent or guardian of such student, and for other purposes.

Source: Congress.gov · 424 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill changes rules about milk substitutes (like soy milk or almond milk) in school lunch programs. Schools must now provide these substitutes when a student or parent requests them, rather than just having the option to do so.

Who It Affects

Schools that participate in the national school lunch program. Students and parents who request fluid milk substitutes.

Key Provisions

• Schools must provide fluid milk substitutes upon request instead of having the choice whether to offer them (Sec. 1) • Milk substitutes must meet standards from the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans published under the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 (Sec. 1) • A student or parent can request a milk substitute without needing written approval from a medical authority (Sec. 1)

What Changes

Schools change from "may provide" (optional) to "shall provide" (required) fluid milk substitutes. Schools no longer need a written medical statement from a doctor or other official to give a student a milk substitute. The bill removes a clause that limited substitutes only to students with certain disabilities.

Important Definitions

Fluid milk substitutes: Not defined in bill text

Effective Date

Not specified in bill text

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1619 To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require schools to provide fluid milk substitutes upon request of a student or the parent or guardian of such student, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 17, 2023 Mr. CARTER of Louisiana (for himself and Ms. MACE) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require schools to provide fluid milk substitutes upon request of a student or the parent or guardian of such student, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. FLUID MILK SUBSTITUTES. 3 Section 9(a)(2)(B) of the Richard B. Russell Na- 4 tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(a)(2)(B)) is 5 amended— 6 (1) in clause (i)— 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:45 Mar 29, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1619.IH H1619 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1619 IH (A) by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting 1 ‘‘shall’’; 2 (B) by striking ‘‘and meets’’ and inserting 3 ‘‘as determined by the most recent Dietary 4 Guidelines for Americans published under sec- 5 tion 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring 6 and Related Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 7 5341) or that meets’’; and 8 (C) by striking ‘‘for students who cannot 9 consume fluid milk because of a medical or 10 other special dietary need other than a dis- 11 ability described in subparagraph (A)(iii)’’; 12 (2) in clause (ii)— 13 (A) by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting 14 ‘‘shall’’; 15 (B) by striking ‘‘the school notifies the 16 State agency’’ and all that follows through ‘‘if 17 the substitution is’’; 18 (C) by striking ‘‘by written statement of a 19 medical authority or’’; 20 (D) by inserting ‘‘student or a’’ after ‘‘by 21 a’’; and 22 (E) by striking ‘‘that identifies the medical 23 or other special dietary need that restricts the 24 student’s diet’’; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:45 Mar 29, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1619.IH H1619 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1619 IH (3) by striking clause (iii). 1 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:45 Mar 29, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1619.IH H1619 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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