Bill Summary
This legislation, also known as the "Food and Nutrition Education in Schools Act of 2020," aims to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act in order to establish a pilot program called the "Food and Nutrition Education in Schools Pilot Program". This program will provide local educational agencies with resources to implement hands-on food and nutrition education in schools, with the goal of promoting healthy eating habits among students. The program will also fund projects such as school gardens and other evidence-based interventions related to student health and nutrition. The Secretary will encourage joint partnerships among various agencies, organizations, and businesses in carrying out the program. Local educational agencies can submit project proposals for grants, which will be evaluated based on criteria such as evidence-based practices, hands-on learning, and commitment to improving school meals. The Secretary will periodically report to Congress on the progress and effectiveness of the program, and there is an authorization of appropriations for $7,000,000 each year from 2021 to 2025.
Possible Impacts
1. The Food and Nutrition Education in Schools Act of 2020 could provide opportunities for people in the food-service industry, such as local farms, restaurants, and food distributors, to partner with schools and promote healthy eating habits among students. This could potentially lead to increased business for these food-service businesses.
2. The Act could also affect teachers and school staff by potentially creating job opportunities for qualified, full-time food and nutrition educators. This could provide job security and a new career path for individuals with a background in nutrition, food preparation, or agricultural science.
3. The Act could also have a positive impact on students by providing them with hands-on learning opportunities through school gardens or other evidence-based interventions relating to student health and nutrition. This could potentially lead to improved health and wellness outcomes for students and a better understanding of the importance of healthy eating habits.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7704 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7704
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish
the Food and Nutrition Education in Schools Pilot Program, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 21, 2020
Ms. Kendra S. Horn of Oklahoma (for herself, Mr. Bacon, and Ms.
Scanlon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish
the Food and Nutrition Education in Schools Pilot Program, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Food and Nutrition Education in
Schools Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS PILOT PROGRAM.
Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(l) Food and Nutrition Education in Schools Pilot Program.--
``(1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to
provide local educational agencies with human resources
dedicated to implementing integrated, hands-on food and
nutrition education in schools with the goal of increasing
acceptance and consumption of healthy, high-quality meals and
snacks by students.
``(2) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall
establish a pilot program, to be known as the `Food and
Nutrition Education in Schools Pilot Program' (referred to in
this subsection as the `pilot program'), under which the
Secretary shall award grants to local educational agencies
for--
``(A) projects that hire qualified, full-time food
and nutrition educators to carry out programs in
schools that have the goal of improving student health
and nutrition; and
``(B) projects that fund school gardens or other
evidence-based interventions relating to student health
and nutrition to create hands-on learning opportunities
for students.
``(3) Joint partnerships.--The Secretary shall encourage,
to the maximum extent practicable, joint partnership projects
under the pilot program among--
``(A) agencies;
``(B) nonprofit organizations;
``(C) postsecondary institutions that offer
programs on nutrition, food preparation, or
agricultural science;
``(D) food-service businesses (such as local farms,
restaurants, and food distributors);
``(E) beginning farmers and ranchers (as defined in
section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)));
``(F) veteran farmers and ranchers (as defined in
that section);
``(G) socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers
(as defined in section 355(e) of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e))); and
``(H) State and local government agencies.
``(4) Coordination.--In establishing the pilot program, the
Secretary shall consult and ensure coordination with the heads
of other appropriate Federal agencies and programs that deliver
nutrition education.
``(5) Project proposals.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall annually
solicit from local educational agencies the submission
of project proposals for grants under the pilot
program.
``(B) Required elements for project proposal.--A
project proposal submitted under subparagraph (A) shall
include--
``(i) a statement of the purposes of the
project;
``(ii)(I) the name of the entity or
individual with overall responsibility for the
project; and
``(II) a description of the qualifications
of that entity or individual;
``(iii) a description of--
``(I) staffing and stakeholder
engagement for the project;
``(II) the logistics of the
project; and
``(III) the methods to be used to
evaluate student learning, such as
through a project, presentation, or
other form of assessment;
``(iv) a proposed budget for the funds and
time required to carry out the project;
``(v) information regarding the source and
amount of any matching funding available for
the project;
``(vi) an implementation plan, including
efforts by the school food authority associated
with the local educational agency to integrate
activities carried out under the project with
other efforts by schools to promote student
health and nutrition;
``(vii) information that demonstrates the
clear potential of the project to contribute to
implementing integrated, hands-on food and
nutrition education in schools with the goal of
increasing acceptance and consumption of
healthy, high-quality meals and snacks; and
``(viii) any other information that the
Secretary considers necessary.
``(C) Criteria for approval.--The Secretary may
award a grant for a project proposal submitted under
subparagraph (A) if the project--
``(i) incorporates evidence-based practices
proven to increase healthy food consumption by
students;
``(ii) includes hands-on, experiential
learning;
``(iii) implements school gardens, taste
tests, student engagement, or other farm-to-
school practices;
``(iv) identifies the commitment of the
local educational agency--
``(I) to improve the nutritional
value of school meals;
``(II) to carry out innovative
programs that improve the health and
wellness of schoolchildren, such as
farm-to-school programs; and
``(III) to evaluate the outcome of
the project; and
``(v) meets any other requirement
established by the Secretary.
``(D) Priority.--To the maximum extent practicable,
in awarding grants under the pilot program, the
Secretary shall give priority to projects that serve
schools or districts--
``(i) in which not less than 40 percent of
students qualify for free or reduced-price
meals under this Act or the Child Nutrition Act
of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.); or
``(ii) that include neighborhoods with high
rates of childhood obesity or other diet-
related diseases.
``(6) Administration.--
``(A) Diversity.--In awarding grants under the
pilot program, the Secretary shall ensure that projects
are located in diverse demographic, geographic, rural,
urban, and suburban settings.
``(B) Indian tribes.--The Secretary shall ensure
that not fewer than 1 project receiving a grant under
the pilot program--
``(i) is located on an Indian reservation;
or
``(ii) serves a school in which the
majority of the students are members of an
Indian tribe.
``(7) Reports.--
``(A) Reports to secretary.--
``(i) In general.--A local educational
agency that receives a grant under the pilot
program shall periodically submit to the
Secretary a report that includes any
information that the Secretary determines is
necessary to evaluate the progress and success
of the project, including evidence of student
learning under the project, to ensure positive
results, assess problems, and foster
improvements.
``(ii) Availability to the public.--Reports
under clause (i), and any other documents of
the local educational agency relating to a
project carried out using a grant awarded under
the pilot program, shall be made available to
the public in a timely manner.
``(B) Reports to congress.--Not later than 5 years
after the date of enactment of this subsection, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report that includes--
``(i) a description of the results and
effectiveness of each project carried out under
the pilot program;
``(ii) an examination of the impact of each
project on--
``(I) student diet and dietary
practices;
``(II) student performance and
behavior;
``(III) food consumption;
``(IV) changes in cafeterias and
the school food environment;
``(V) school meal participation by
students; and
``(VI) other indicators as
determined by the Secretary;
``(iii) demographic data on the schools and
communities served by the pilot program;
``(iv) a summary of the activities
conducted by each local educational agency
after receiving a grant under the pilot
program; and
``(v) recommendations on how the pilot
program may be improved and whether funding for
the pilot program should be continued.
``(8) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
subsection $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through
2025.''.
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