Bill Summary
The "Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act" aims to improve children's nutrition and combat obesity by expanding the use of salad bars in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. Recognizing that a significant number of school-aged children are overweight or obese and do not consume enough fruits and vegetables, the Act outlines several key provisions:
1. **Promotion and Training**: The Secretary of Agriculture is tasked with developing a marketing and communications plan to promote salad bars in schools. This includes providing training, technical assistance, and resources to help schools implement salad bars effectively.
2. **Grant Program**: The Act establishes a competitive grant program to fund the installation of salad bars in eligible schools. Funds will cover the costs of durable equipment necessary for the salad bars. Priority will be given to schools with a high percentage of low-income students, schools located in food deserts, or those providing nutrition education.
3. **Reporting and Evaluation**: The Secretary must submit a report within one year of enactment detailing the progress of the initiative, including the number of schools that have implemented salad bars and recommendations for further promotion.
4. **No New Appropriations**: The Act specifies that no additional federal funds will be provided; instead, it will utilize existing budget allocations.
Overall, the legislation seeks to enhance the nutritional quality of school meals and encourage healthier eating habits among students through the implementation of salad bars.
Possible Impacts
The "Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act" could affect people in various ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Improved Nutritional Intake for Students**: By expanding the use of salad bars in schools, students will have greater access to a variety of fruits and vegetables. This initiative is designed to improve their overall dietary habits, helping combat issues of overweight and obesity. Access to fresh produce may encourage healthier eating choices, potentially leading to better health outcomes for children.
2. **Support for Schools in Low-Income Areas**: The grant program included in the legislation prioritizes schools that serve a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches and those located in food deserts. This targeted support can help schools in underserved communities improve their meal offerings, thus promoting equity in access to nutritious food options and helping to alleviate food insecurity among students.
3. **Engagement and Education for Families**: The legislation emphasizes nutrition education and strategies for parent engagement, which can foster a community-wide commitment to healthy eating. Schools that implement salad bars can become hubs for promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging families to participate in nutrition programs and learn about the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables, thereby creating a supportive environment for healthier choices both at school and at home.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 739 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 739
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to expand the
use of salad bars in schools.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 24, 2025
Ms. Wilson of Florida 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 expand the
use of salad bars in schools.
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 ``Salad Bars in Schools Expansion
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In the United States, one-third of all school-aged
children are overweight or obese and very few eat the daily
amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by national health
authorities.
(2) On average, more than 30 million children participate
in the National School Lunch Program daily, with more than 70
percent qualifying for free or reduced-price meals based on
family household income.
(3) Improving the healthfulness of school meals, including
serving more fruits and vegetables, will improve children's
eating habits and their health. The Dietary Guidelines for
Americans recommends that children ``make half their plate
fruits and vegetables'' at each meal.
(4) Research indicates that school salad bars are an
effective strategy to increase children's consumption of a wide
variety of fruits and vegetables.
(5) Salad bars are one of the easiest ways for school food
authorities to meet the new school lunch nutrition standards
that require serving a fruit and a vegetable every day, a
colorful variety of vegetables every week, and that students
select at least one-half cup of a fruit or a vegetable at
lunch.
(6) Salad bars are effective in elementary, middle, and
high school, they empower students to try new fruits and
vegetables and are a tangible example of a school's commitment
to wellness and healthier school meals.
SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF SALAD BARS.
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) Expansion of Salad Bars.--
``(1) Marketing and communications plan.--Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of the Salad Bars in
Schools Expansion Act, the Secretary shall establish and
implement a plan to promote the use of salad bars in schools
participating in the school lunch program established under
this Act.
``(2) Training and technical assistance.--In carrying out
the plan described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
provide training and technical assistance to eligible entities
to assist the entities in establishing salad bars in schools.
Such training and technical assistance may include--
``(A) webinars;
``(B) training workshops;
``(C) implementation resources;
``(D) nutrition education; and
``(E) strategies for parent engagement and to
encourage collaboration with allied organizations and
partners.
``(3) Grant program.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the plan
described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
establish a grant program under which the Secretary
shall provide grants, on a competitive basis, to
eligible entities selected under subparagraph (C).
``(B) Use of funds.--Each eligible entity receiving
a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds
to award schools a one-time payment equal to the
anticipated cost of installing a salad bar, including
the purchase of any durable equipment required for a
salad bar.
``(C) Application.--
``(i) In general.--To receive a grant under
this subsection, an eligible entity shall
submit to the Secretary an application at such
time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require.
``(ii) Priority.--In selecting grant
recipients, the Secretary may give priority to
eligible entities that--
``(I) serve schools in which not
less than 50 percent of the students
are eligible for free or reduced price
lunches;
``(II) serve schools in food
deserts; or
``(III) provide nutrition education
to students.
``(D) Termination.--The grant program shall
terminate 5 years after the date of the enactment of
the Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act.
``(E) Evaluation.--Each grantee shall submit to the
Secretary an evaluation of the grant program at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require.
``(4) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of the Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act, the
Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Education
and the Workforce and the Committee on Agriculture of the House
of Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, which includes--
``(A) recommendations, if any, for promoting and
establishing more salad bars in schools;
``(B) the number of schools nationwide that have a
salad bar program in their school;
``(C) the number of schools that have new salad
bars as a result of the plan described in paragraph
(1); and
``(D) the evaluations submitted by grantees under
paragraph (3)(E).
``(5) Revision of guidance on salad bars in the national
school lunch program.--Not later than 90 days after submitting
the report under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall revise the
March 27, 2013, policy memorandum SP 31-2013, `Salad Bars in
the National School Lunch Program', in light of any
recommendations contained in the report.
``(6) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Durable equipment.--The term `durable
equipment' means durable food preparation, handling,
cooking, serving, and storage equipment greater than
$500 in value.
``(B) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity'
means--
``(i) a school; or
``(ii) a school food authority.
``(C) Food desert.--The term `food desert' means a
census tract with a substantial share of residents who
live in low-income areas that have low levels of access
to a grocery store or a healthy, affordable food retail
outlet.''.
SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON NEW APPROPRIATIONS.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and this Act and such
amendments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise made available
for such purposes.
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