IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 362 

Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the goals and 

ideals of the National School Lunch Program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 23, 2009 

Ms. WATSON (for herself, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. CAO, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, 

Mr. COSTA, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HASTINGS of 

Florida, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. 

MICHAUD, Mr. PIERLUISI, Mr. REYES, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. 

SMITH of Washington, Mr. SIRES, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. WATERS, Ms. WASSERMAN

SCHULTZ, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. 

CROWLEY, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. FARR, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mrs. TAUSCHER, 

and Mr. GRAYSON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for 

the goals and ideals of the National School Lunch Program. 

Whereas the National School Lunch Program is declared to 

be the policy of the United States Congress, as a measure 

of national security, to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the Nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food, by assisting the States, through 

grants-in-aid and other means, in providing an adequate 

supply of food and other facilities for the establishment, 


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•HRES 362 IH 

maintenance, operation, and expansion of nonprofit 

school lunch programs; 

Whereas Federal regulations further state that participating 

schools shall ensure that children gain a full understanding of the relationship between proper eating and 

good health; 

Whereas child nutrition programs are responsible for collaborating with the school community to implement comprehensive nutrition and wellness policies in school districts; 

Whereas all of America’s more than 49,000,000 pupils deserve access to high-quality, safe, nutritious meals available in the school setting, recognizing the link between 

adequate nourishment and educational performance; 

Whereas children that experience hunger have been shown to 

be more likely to have lower math scores, decreased attentiveness, increased likelihood of repeating a grade, increased absences and tardiness, and more referrals to 

special education services; 

Whereas in 2007, child nutrition programs in the United 

States provided over 30,000,000 meals to school children 

daily, and must comply with complex State and Federal 

requirements, provide adequate food preparation and 

dinning facilities, and meet budget requirements despite 

rapidly escalating food, energy, transportation, labor, and 

other costs; 

Whereas losses in school meal programs must be offset by 

other revenue sources that would otherwise support classroom instruction; 

Whereas based on an estimated average cost to prepare a 

school lunch (including labor, food, and other inputs) of 


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about $2.92, and revenue of between $2.52 to $2.77 to 

offset that cost (from Federal reimbursements, commodity entitlement, and the average price paid for a 

school lunch) school nutrition programs are experiencing 

a potential loss of at least $4.5 million per school day 

based on 30 million school lunches provided; 

Whereas the difference between reimbursement and cost undermines the ability to continue to provide nutritious 

meals to all pupils; 

Whereas many families that qualify for reduced-price meals, 

prescribed by Federal law using the Federal poverty level, 

find it difficult to pay the reduced fee, and the fee for 

a paid meal is an insurmountable barrier to participating 

for an increasing number of families; 

Whereas the eligibility scale to qualify for reduced-price meals 

in the same scale throughout the country does not consider regions with higher costs of living; 

Whereas a self-sufficiency index, which identifies the income 

levels at which families can meet their most basic needs 

without public support, is available in most regions to 

meal eligibility standards; and 

Whereas a single-parent household with two children in San 

Mateo County, California, needs $67,867 to be self-sufficient, while a similar family in Hardeman County, Tennessee, is self-sufficient with only $21,657: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of the Na3 tional School Lunch Program; and 


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1 (2) recognizes that America’s pupils deserve ac2 cess to high-quality, safe, nutritious meals available 

3 in the school setting. 

Æ 


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