Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025
This bill revises requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Currently, schools participating in the program must provide milk that is consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans; USDA regulations require milk to be fat-free or low-fat and allow milk to be flavored or unflavored. The bill modifies these restrictions and instead permits schools to offer students whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk. The milk that is offered may be organic or nonorganic. Further, USDA may not prohibit a participating school from offering students any of these milk choices.
Further, schools currently must provide a substitute for fluid milk, on receipt of a written statement from a licensed physician, for students whose disability restricts their diet. Under the bill, a parent or legal guardian may also provide the written statement.
In addition, schools currently participating in the program must provide meals that meet certain nutrition requirements; USDA regulations require that the average saturated fat content of the meals offered must be less than 10% of the total calories. Under the bill, fluid milk is excluded from the saturated fat content calculation; milk fat included in any fluid milk provided by the program must not be considered saturated fat for the purposes of measuring compliance with USDA regulations.
Finally, the bill prohibits schools participating in the program from purchasing or offering milk produced by Chinese state-owned enterprises.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 649 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 649
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to allow
schools that participate in the school lunch program under such Act to
serve whole milk.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 23, 2025
Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself, Ms. Schrier, Mr. Finstad,
Ms. Craig, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida, Mr. Meuser, Mr.
Estes, Mr. Fleischmann, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mrs. Cammack, Mr.
Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. Van Orden, Mr. Langworthy, Ms. Pingree,
Ms. De La Cruz, Mr. Bost, Mr. Mann, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Joyce of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. Jackson of Texas, Mr. Graves, Mr.
Moolenaar, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Alford, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Owens, Mr. Costa,
Mr. Panetta, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Perry, Mr. Deluzio, Mr.
Mackenzie, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Bresnahan, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Harder of
California, Mr. Steil, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Davis of North Carolina,
Mr. Barr, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Vasquez, Mrs. Fischbach, Mr.
Smucker, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr. Rose, Mr.
Messmer, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania,
Mr. Balderson, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, Mr. Wied, Mr.
Newhouse, Mrs. Hinson, Mr. Moore of Alabama, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Valadao,
Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Harris of North Carolina, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Jackson of
Illinois, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Guest) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to allow
schools that participate in the school lunch program under such Act to
serve whole milk.
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 cited as the ``Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. ORGANIC OR NON-ORGANIC WHOLE MILK PERMISSIBLE.
Section 9(a)(2) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
(42 U.S.C. 1758(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
``(A) In general.--Lunches served by schools
participating in the school lunch program under this
Act--
``(i) shall offer students a variety of
fluid milk;
``(ii) may offer students flavored and
unflavored organic or non-organic whole,
reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free fluid milk
and lactose-free fluid milk; and
``(iii) shall provide a substitute for
fluid milk for students whose disability
restricts their diet, on receipt of a written
statement from a licensed physician, parent, or
legal guardian that identifies the disability
that restricts the student's diet and that
specifies the substitute for fluid milk.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Saturated fat.--Milk fat included in any
fluid milk provided under subparagraph (A) shall not be
considered saturated fat for purposes of measuring
compliance with the allowable average saturated fat
content of a meal under section 210.10 of title 7, Code
of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).
``(E) Prohibition on certain purchases.--The
Secretary shall prohibit schools participating in the
school lunch program under this Act from purchasing or
offering milk produced by China state-owned
enterprises.
``(F) Limitation on authority.--The Secretary may
not prohibit any school participating in the school
lunch program under this Act from offering students the
milk described in subparagraph (A)(ii).''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H307-308)
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 10.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-142.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-142.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 111.
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