The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the school meal programs that provide nutritious, lowcost meals to about 30 million children each day, according to USDA fiscal year 2019 data. School food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program must comply…

The school meal programs provide nutritious meals to millions of students each day. In fiscal year 2023, federal spending for these programs was $21 billion. It is unclear how many charter schools participate in these programs or what factors can affect their participation. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review charter…

USDA helps millions of children from low-income households access healthy meals by purchasing food, including seafood, for the NSLP. USDA-purchased foods represent about 15 to 20 percent of the food served in the NSLP. According to the DGA, programs, such as the NSLP, can play an essential role in providing access to healthy meals. This can help…

On July 23, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed a new rule that will restrict eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. On its own, the proposal will cut access to food assistance for about 3.1 million low income Americans, which will have significant consequences for individuals and families struggling…

This paper presents the Committee on Education and the Workforce's hearing on the costs associated with the recent reauthorization of federal child nutrition programs. Individuals typically think of costs in terms of dollars and cents; however, as is often the case with federal laws and regulations, there is an additional cost that can't be…

A 1983 federal appeals court decision says the Secretary of Agriculture cannot establish time and place restrictions on the sale of snack items in schools. If snack items are to be banned from schools, the School Lunch Act must be reworded. (MD)

The Hearings presented in this publication review the current state of federal child nutrition programs. Much of the testimony focuses on (1) the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, which serves exclusively low income, pregnant women, nursing mothers and their children; and (2) the Nutrition Education and Training (NET) program. Most…

The National School Lunch Act, enacted in 1946, is the cornerstone of food delivery legislation that feeds nearly 25 million American schoolchildren each day. Since then there have been numerous new acts and amendments that have further enlarged the scope of child nutrition. These laws are compiled to provide readily available information on the…

Effective in September 1983 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires schools to document and verify income information from three percent or 3,000 students approved for subsidized lunches. While there is some flexibility in confirming eligibility, schools must provide evidence of income levels. Outlined are the types of…

Statements were presented by: Honorable Tom Harkin, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Iowa, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Honorable Robert B. Casey, Jr., U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania; Honorable Saxby Chambliss, U.S. Senator from Georgia; Honorable Richard G. Lugar; Honorable Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator from Colorado; Kelly…

The transcript of a congressional hearing on a proposed bill to extend and amend the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 is provided in this document. Representatives of the Food and Nutrition Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, testified that the proposed bill runs counter to the policies of the Reagan…

These hearing transcripts provide testimony on a rule proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), "Nutrition Objectives for School Meals," that would require meals served under the national school lunch program to be consistent with federal dietary guidelines. The majority of the testimony addressed the content of…

This document presents testimony offered in conjunction with the reauthorization of federal child nutrition programs, and specifically reports on the United States Department of Agriculture's no-fee school meal pilot program. This alternative program aims to reduce administrative costs to schools and to increase student participation. In the pilot…

This document records a hearing concerning two proposed legislative bills which would revise and extend elementary and secondary school nutrition programs. The text of both bills are followed by supportive statements made by a number of individuals concerned with child nutrition. Also included are related testimony, summaries, prepared statements,…

This compilation of the oversight hearings of the ninety-sixth congress on federally funded child nutrition programs contains testimonies concerning the possible impact on these programs of a proposed reduction in federal spending for the fiscal year 1980. It was proposed that a reduction in spending be met through legislative changes in existing…