Stage set for House action, but the clock is ticking
On Thursday, August 5, the United States Senate unanimously passed S. 3307,
the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a bill to reauthorize school meals
and other child nutrition programs. Senate passage of this bill is the
biggest step forward in updating our child nutrition programs to date.
However, the House of Representatives will need to act quickly with
programs set to expire on September 30.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was introduced by
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee,
on May 5, 2010. This legislation increases access to vital anti-hunger
initiatives, improves the nutrition quality of foods served in schools,
and provides the supports necessary for school food service workers to
meet the needs of American children.
The $4.5 billion increase in child nutrition funding
over the next 10 years was provided under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids
Act is a substantial investment in a time when both child hunger and
obesity are at alarming levels. The bill includes common-sense measures
to help ensure that both of these trends can be reversed, including
supports for direct certification, updated nutrition standards for all
foods served in schools, increased access to local produce and school
gardens, and enhanced notification and engagement of parents and the
surrounding community in matters that affect the well-being of students.
PTA in Action
National PTA has been heavily involved in urging
Congress to pass this reauthorization of critical child nutrition
programs. In March 2009, National PTA CEO Byron V. Garrett
testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee on the importance of
this legislative effort and the need to provide healthier options in
our nation's schools. This past July 29, National PTA President Charles J. "Chuck" Saylors
spoke at a press conference alongside Chairman Lincoln and several
other senators and advocates about the need for the Senate to act
swiftly in passing S. 3307. In addition, National PTA has joined ad
campaigns, activated a dedicated membership to the cause, and
participated in an advocacy campaign in which lunch trays were designed
to promote ways that Congress can act to improve nutrition for America's
children. These lunch trays were sent to every office on Capitol Hill.
National PTA's recommendations for the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization can be found in our 2010 Public Policy Agenda beginning on page 17.
House Action Needed
Now that the Senate has passed their version of this legislation, it
is imperative that the House of Representatives act quickly. On July 15,
the House Education and Labor Committee passed H.R. 5504,
the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act, by a vote of 32-13.
The House bill would provide an $8 billion increase in child nutrition
funding over the next 10 years, focusing on similar priorities as those
outlined above for the Senate version.
However, funding offsets for the Improving Nutrition for America's
Children Act have yet to be found. While this is normal in House
procedure, funding the bill may prove particularly difficult given the
reluctance of House leadership and some other Members to accept proposed
offsets in the Senate version. The main point of contention is a
reduction in emergency funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, which was included in
last year's stimulus package. Speaker Pelosi and other House Members
have publicly shown opposition to this return to regular level SNAP
funding scheduled to begin in 2013. However, a similar offset was
approved by both chambers of Congress as part of a bill providing
emergency funding for education jobs which was signed into law on August
10.
There is little time left to find the funding, pass the House bill,
conference the two bills to iron out the differences, pass the
conference committee version in both chambers of Congress, and have the
President sign the bill into law. Nonetheless, there remains hope that
this can be achieved and National PTA is working closely with federal
decision makers in order to ensure a swift and responsible
reauthorization of these critical programs.