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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 143 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 143

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
                       school breakfast program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 9, 2013

Ms. Moore submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
                       school breakfast program.

Whereas participants in the school breakfast program established by section 4 of 
        the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 include public, private, elementary, 
        middle, and high schools, as well as rural, suburban, and urban schools;
Whereas school breakfast programs were developed across the Nation in response 
        to a simple problem, too many children were going to school without 
        breakfast or without a nutritionally adequate breakfast;
Whereas in the 2011 to 2012 school year, approximately 12,530,000 students in 
        89,666 schools participated in the school breakfast program on a typical 
        day;
Whereas in the 2011 to 2012 school year, approximately 10,500,000 low-income 
        children in the United States consumed free or reduced price school 
        breakfasts on an average school day;
Whereas in the 2011 to 2012 school year, 91.2 percent of schools that 
        participated in the school lunch program established under the Richard 
        B. Russell National School Lunch Act also participated in the school 
        breakfast program;
Whereas for every 100 children receiving free and reduced price lunches, 
        approximately 50.4 children receive free and reduced price breakfasts;
Whereas in the 2011 to 2012 school year, 84 percent of school breakfasts served, 
        were served to students who qualified for free or reduced priced meals;
Whereas if 70 low-income children ate breakfast for every 100 children who ate 
        lunch, an additional 4,100,000 low-income children would eat school 
        breakfast;
Whereas implementing or improving classroom breakfast programs has been shown to 
        increase the participation of eligible students in breakfast consumption 
        dramatically, doubling, and in some cases tripling numbers, as evidenced 
        by research conducted in the States of Minnesota, New York, and 
        Wisconsin;
Whereas making breakfast widely available through different venues or 
        combinations, such as in the classroom after the morning bell, obtained 
        as students exit a school bus, or outside the classroom, has been shown 
        to lessen the stigma of receiving free or reduced price breakfasts, 
        which often deters eligible students from obtaining traditional 
        breakfasts in the cafeteria;
Whereas providing free universal breakfasts, especially in the classroom, has 
        been shown to significantly increase school breakfast participation 
        rates and decrease absences and tardiness;
Whereas studies have shown that access to nutritious meals under the school 
        lunch program and the school breakfast program helps to create a strong 
        learning environment for children and helps to improve the concentration 
        of children in the classroom;
Whereas providing breakfast in the classroom has been shown in several instances 
        to improve attentiveness and academic performance, while reducing 
        tardiness and disciplinary referrals;
Whereas students who eat a complete breakfast have been shown to make fewer 
        mistakes and work faster in math exercises than students who eat a 
        partial breakfast;
Whereas studies suggest that eating breakfast closer to classroom and test-
        taking time improves student performance on standardized tests relative 
        to students who skip breakfast;
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 have been shown to 
        be more likely to have lower math scores, face an increased likelihood 
        of repeating a grade, and receive more special education services;
Whereas studies suggest that children who eat breakfast have more adequate 
        nutrition and intake of nutrients, such as calcium, fiber, protein, and 
        vitamins A, E, D, and B6;
Whereas studies show that children who participate in school breakfast programs 
        eat more fruits, drink more milk, and consume less saturated fat than 
        children who do not eat breakfast;
Whereas National School Breakfast Week is an annual occasion for everyone in the 
        community to reflect on the importance and value of what breakfast in 
        schools means for all children in the United States and is a time to 
        renew the commitment to the idea that all children should be able to 
        start the school day adequately fed and ready to learn; and
Whereas March 4 through March 8, 2013, is National School Breakfast Week: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of the school breakfast 
        program established by section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
        1966 and the overall positive impact of the program on the 
        lives of low-income children and families, as well as the 
        effect of the program on helping to improve the overall 
        classroom performance of a child;
            (2) expresses support for States that have successfully 
        implemented school breakfast programs in order to improve the 
        test scores and grades of participating students;
            (3) encourages States to--
                    (A) strengthen school breakfast programs by 
                improving access for students and making it a part of 
                the school day through alternative models like 
                breakfast in the classroom;
                    (B) work towards meeting the goal set by the Food 
                Research and Action Center of 70 low-income children 
                eating breakfast for every 100 low-income children 
                eating lunch;
                    (C) promote improvements in the nutritional quality 
                of breakfasts served; and
                    (D) inform students and parents of healthy 
                nutritional and lifestyle choices;
            (4) recognizes that the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 
        2010 and amendments made by that Act provide low-income 
        children with greater access to a nutritious breakfast 
        nationwide;
            (5) recognizes all the partners that help make successful 
        school breakfast programs including nonprofit and community 
        organizations that work to increase awareness of, and access 
        to, breakfast programs for low-income children; and
            (6) recognizes that National School Breakfast Week helps 
        draw attention to the need for, and success of, the school 
        breakfast program.
                                 <all>
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