Despite criticism of the idea, the Republican-drawn child nutrition bill filed in the House would curtail sharply the use of a provision that eases the paperwork burden on schools in low-income neighborhoods that provide free meals to all of their students. The House Education Committee says its proposal “improves community eligibility by targeting assistance to those most in need while continuing to provide all eligible students access to healthy meals.” The bill would limit community eligibility to schools where at least 60 percent, rather the current 40 percent, of students are automatically eligible for free meals because their families receive food stamps or welfare benefits.
The think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says the higher threshold would disqualify 40 percent of the more than 18,000 schools now using the provision. Five states – Kentucky, New York, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia – are home to one-third of the affected schools, it said.
Education chairman John Kline said the bill would counter-act “difficult constraints and unrealistic mandates imposed by Washington.” Critics say a 2010 school food law, which requires schools to cut back on fat, salt and sugar and to serve more dairy, whole grains, and fruit and vegetables, has driven up costs to prepare and serve meals while driving down participation with unpopular menus.
The draft bill would remove a requirement for schools to charge more for full-price meals, ease the rules on the foods that can be sold on a la carte lines, and allow frozen, dried or canned fruit and vegetables to be served in a snack program now limited to fresh produce. It also increases the reimbursement for each school breakfast that is served, and requires schools to double-check more of the applications submitted for free or reduced-price meals.
“Introduction of HR 5003 marks the next major step in the child nutrition reauthorization process,” said the School Nutrition Association. “The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is likely to schedule a markup of the bill in soon.” A child nutrition bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate. Child nutrition programs cost $23 billion a year. School lunch is the largest of the array of programs.