Healthy Nutrition for America's Children Act

Healthy Nutrition for America's Children Act - Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reauthorize and expand the fruit and vegetable pilot program.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2832 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2832

 To promote improved nutrition for students by expanding the Fruit and 
 Vegetable Pilot Program under the Richard B. Russell National School 
                               Lunch Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2003

 Mr. Hastings of Washington (for himself, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Nethercutt, 
 Mr. Simpson, Mr. Otter, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Wilson of South 
 Carolina, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Farr, Mr. Ross, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. Nunes) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                      Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To promote improved nutrition for students by expanding the Fruit and 
 Vegetable Pilot Program under the Richard B. Russell National School 
                               Lunch Act.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``Healthy Nutrition for 
America's Children Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States faces a continuing challenge in 
        improving the quality of the Nation's diet as the economic 
        costs of poor nutrition, which contributes to coronary heart 
        disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, 4 of the 10 leading 
        causes of death, is significant.
            (2) Consumption of a healthy diet including nutritionally 
        rich fruit and vegetables is essential for normal growth and 
        development, and critical to promoting health and preventing an 
        array of chronic diseases, as an estimated \1/3\ of cancer 
        deaths could be prevented by healthy diets.
            (3) Most children do not meet the minimum recommended 
        guidelines of 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetables, with 
        only 15 percent of elementary students consuming the 
        recommended requirement, and \1/4\ of adults.
            (4) Among needy students, school nutrition programs often 
        provide the primary opportunity for consumption of 
        nutritionally valuable foods.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are:
            (1) To extend, expand, and enhance Federal nutrition 
        policies that recognize and directly encourage consumption of 
        fruits and vegetables as critical to promoting health and 
        preventing an array of chronic diseases.
            (2) To develop nutrition policies that increase awareness 
        and understanding of the benefits provided by fruits and 
        vegetables with respect to disease prevention and health 
        promotion, as fruit and vegetable consumption is an important 
        component of a balanced diet.
            (3) To elevate the Federal government's investment in 
        nutrition program priorities to better address the significant 
        role fruit and vegetables play in health promotion and disease 
        prevention for the neediest Americans.

SEC. 3. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PILOT PROGRAM.

    Section 18(g) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1769(g)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(g) Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--In the school year beginning July 2004 
        and for each subsequent school year through 2009, the Secretary 
        shall carry out a pilot program to make available to students 
        in 25 elementary or secondary schools in each of 50 States, and 
        in elementary or secondary schools on 10 Indian reservations, 
        free fresh and dried fruits and fresh vegetables throughout the 
        school day in 1 or more areas designated by the school.
            ``(2) Publicity.--A school that participates in the pilot 
        program shall widely publicize within the school the 
        availability of free fruits and vegetables under the pilot 
        program.
            ``(3) Report.--Not later than May 1, 2007, the Secretary, 
        acting through the Administrator of the Economic Research 
        Service, shall report to the Committee on Education and the 
        Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
        Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate on the 
        results of the pilot program.
            ``(4) Administrative cost.--A participating school may use 
        no more than 20 percent of the allocated funding for 
        administrative expenses during the first year of the program. 
        In subsequent years of the program schools may expend no more 
        than 10 percent of the funding on administrative expenses.
            ``(5) Funding.--Of the amount specified in section 10603(a) 
        of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 
        612c-4(a)) (made available under section 32 of the Act of 
        August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c)), the Secretary shall use not 
        more than $75,000,000 for each year of the program to carry out 
        this subsection. The Secretary shall ensure that carrying out 
        this subsection does not reduce the level of commodity 
        assistance provided under section 6.''.
                                 <all>