III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 474 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that providing breakfast in schools through 

the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on the 

lives and classroom performance of low-income children. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 5, 2008 

Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. KOHL, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. 

CASEY, Mr. KERRY, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. DODD) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that providing breakfast 

in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on the lives and classroom 

performance of low-income children. 

Whereas participants in the National School Breakfast Program established under section 4 of the Child Nutrition 

Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) include public, private, elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as schools in 

rural, suburban, and urban areas; 

Whereas access to nutrition programs such as the National 

School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program helps to create a stronger learning environment for children and improves children’s concentration 

in the classroom; 


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•SRES 474 ATS 

Whereas missing breakfast and the resulting hunger has been 

shown to harm the ability of children to learn and 

hinders academic performance; 

Whereas students who eat a complete breakfast have been 

shown to make fewer mistakes and to work faster in 

math exercises than those who eat a partial breakfast; 

Whereas implementing or improving classroom breakfast programs has been shown to increase breakfast consumption 

among eligible students dramatically, doubling and in 

some cases tripling numbers of participants in school 

breakfast programs, as evidenced by research in Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin; 

Whereas providing breakfast in the classroom has been shown 

in several instances to improve attentiveness and academic performance, while reducing absences, tardiness, 

and disciplinary referrals; 

Whereas studies suggest that eating breakfast closer to the 

time students arrive in the classroom and take tests improves the students’ performance on standardized tests; 

Whereas studies show that students who skip breakfast are 

more likely to have difficulty distinguishing among similar images, show increased errors, and have slower memory recall; 

Whereas children who live in families that experience hunger 

are likely to have lower math scores, receive more special 

education services, and face an increased likelihood of repeating a grade; 

Whereas making breakfast widely available in different 

venues or in a combination of venues, such as by providing breakfast in the classroom, in the hallways outside 

classrooms, or to students as they exit their school buses, 


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has been shown to lessen the stigma of receiving free or 

reduced-price school breakfasts, which sometimes prevents eligible students from obtaining traditional breakfast in the cafeteria; 

Whereas, in fiscal year 2006, 7,700,000 students in the 

United States consumed free or reduced-price school 

breakfasts provided under the National School Breakfast 

Program; 

Whereas less than half of the low-income students who participate in the National School Lunch Program also participate in the National School Breakfast Program; 

Whereas almost 17,000 schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program do not participate in the 

National School Breakfast Program; 

Whereas studies suggest that children who eat breakfast take 

in more nutrients, such as calcium, fiber, protein, and vitamins A, E, D, and B–6; 

Whereas studies show that children who participate in school 

breakfast programs eat more fruits, drink more milk, and 

consume less saturated fat than those who do not eat 

breakfast; and 

Whereas children who do not eat breakfast, either in school 

or at home, are more likely to be overweight than children who eat a healthy breakfast on a daily basis: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the importance of the National 

3 School Breakfast Program established under section 

4 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 

5 1773) and the positive impact of the Program on the 


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•SRES 474 ATS 

1 lives of low-income children and families and on chil2 dren’s overall classroom performance; 

3 (2) expresses strong support for States that 

4 have successfully implemented school breakfast pro5 grams in order to alleviate hunger and improve the 

6 test scores and grades of participating students; 

7 (3) encourages all States to strengthen their 

8 school breakfast programs, provide incentives for the 

9 expansion of school breakfast programs, and pro10 mote improvements in the nutritional quality of 

11 breakfasts served; and 

12 (4) recognizes the need to provide States with 

13 resources to improve the availability of adequate and 

14 nutritious breakfasts. 

Æ 


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