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 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.

Summary: Recognizes the importance of the school breakfast program and its overall positive effect on the lives of low-income children and families, as well as its effect on helping to improve a child's overall classroom performance. Expresses support for states that have successfully implemented school breakfast programs in order to improve the test scores and grades of their participating students. Encourages states to: (1) strengthen their school breakfast programs by improving student access and making them part of the school day, (2) work towards the goal of having 70 low-income children eating breakfast for every 100 low-income children eating lunch, (3) promote improvements in the nutritional quality of breakfasts served, and (4) inform students and parents of healthy nutritional and lifestyle choices. Recognizes: (1) that the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides low-income children with greater access to nutritious breakfasts; (2) all the partners that help to make successful school breakfast programs; and (3) that National School Breakfast Week helps draw attention to the need for, and success of, the school breakfast program.