**Legislative History and Provisions**:
– Introduced in the Senate by Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
– Approved by the Senate by unanimous voice vote
– Passed in the House with bipartisan support
– Signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13, 2010
– Took effect in 2014
– Allows USDA to make significant changes to school lunch program
– Sets new nutritional standards
– Authorizes additional funds for new standards
– Provides resources for fresh produce from local farms
– Sets minimum standards for school wellness policies
**New Food Standards**:
– USDA authorized to set new food standards
– Funds allocated for new lunch standards
– Resources for fresh produce from local sources
– Increased nutritional quality of USDA-provided food
– Sets limits on milk, portion sizes, and nutrient content
**Access and Program Monitoring**:
– Expanded eligibility for school meal programs
– Uses census data for student need in high-poverty areas
– Authorizes meals in more after-school programs
– Enhances access to drinking water in schools
– Requires school district audits every 3 years
– Enhances access to nutritional facts for students and parents
– Improves recall procedures for school food
– Provides training for school lunch providers
**Criticism and Modifications**:
– Students complained about hunger and reduced portion sizes
– Concerns of food waste due to lack of interest
– Decrease in meal participation and revenue for schools
– USDA issued modified standards in response to criticism
– US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a new rule in 2018 for more flexibility in school meal offerings
**Impact and Success**:
– Provides nutritious meals to children in need
– Gives schools additional resources
– Studies in Virginia and Massachusetts show positive impact on children
– New school meal standards significantly increased fruit and vegetable consumption
– Michelle Obama-approved school lunch initiatives aimed to improve the nutritional quality of school meals
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111–296 (text) (PDF)) is a federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 13, 2010. The law is part of the reauthorization of funding for child nutrition (see the original Child Nutrition Act). It funded child nutrition programs and free lunch programs in schools for 5 years. In addition, the law set new nutrition standards for schools, and allocated $4.5 billion for their implementation. The new nutrition standards were a centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity. In FY 2011, federal spending totaled $10.1 billion for the National School Lunch Program. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act allows USDA, for the first time in 30 years, opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and Michelle Obama were a step in transforming the food pyramid recommendation, which has been around since the early 1990s, into what is now known as "MyPlate".
.svg) | |
| Long title | To reauthorize child nutrition programs, and for other purposes. |
|---|---|
| Enacted by | the 111th United States Congress |
| Effective | December 13, 2010 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 111–296 (text) (PDF) |
| Legislative history | |
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According to the US Department of Agriculture, for the 2012–13 school year, 21.5 million American children received free lunch or reduced-price lunch at school. Across the U.S, the school lunch program varies by state.
In December 2018, the USDA weakened the ability to enforce the Act.