FRAC Statement: House Ed and Labor Passes H.R. 5504

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FRAC STATEMENT: House Education and Labor Committee Passes the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act (H.R. 5504)

Washington, D.C. – July 15, 2010 – The Food Research and Action Center applauds the House Education and Labor Committee for passing the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act (H.R. 5504) in a bipartisan vote. This bill, sponsored by Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) and Ranking Subcommittee Member Todd Platts (R-Pa.) provides critical support for low-income children by improving their access to the nutritious food they need – whether they are in school, in out-of-school time programs, or in child care. And it takes important measures to improve the quality of nutrition that low-income children receive. It ensures significant movement towards the goals of ending child hunger by 2015 and dramatically reducing childhood obesity.

Key improvements in this bill include:

Expanding the Afterschool Meal Program to all 50 states, an important step taken during mark-up (right now, only 13 states and the District of Columbia can operate this program);
Providing competitive grant funds to promote the expansion of the School Breakfast Program;
Lowering area eligibility for Summer Food to 40 percent in rural areas;
Improving direct certification for school meals;
Creating new paperless options for schools to offer free meals to all;
Creating state pilots that make it easier for schools and community-based organizations to provide meals to children after school, on weekends, and during school holidays;
Adding, in some states, an additional meal or snack for children who are in child care for over eight hours;
Strengthening policies to prevent overt identification of low-income children in school meal programs;
Reducing paperwork and simplifying program requirements in CACFP;
Allowing state WIC agencies the option to certify children for up to one year;
Granting the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to establish national nutrition standards for all foods sold on the school campus throughout the extended school day; and
Enhancing the nutritional quality of food served in school-based and preschool settings.

Children should not have to wait any longer for the improvements included in this bill. FRAC urges the House leadership to continue the momentum and keep H.R. 5504 moving. FRAC is committed to working with members of the House and Senate and with the White House to continue to fight for the best possible bill with the right mix of funds to reach our goals.

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The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is the leading national nonprofit organization working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States.