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 well- 
being of the Nation’s children and to encourage the do-
mestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commod-
ities 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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maintenance, operation, and expansion of nonprofit 
school lunch programs; 
Whereas Federal regulations further state that participating 
schools shall ensure that children gain a full under-
standing of the relationship between proper eating and 
good health; 
Whereas child nutrition programs are responsible for collabo-
rating with the school community to implement com-
prehensive nutrition and wellness policies in school dis-
tricts; 
Whereas all of America’s more than 49,000,000 pupils de-
serve access to high-quality, safe, nutritious meals avail-
able 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 at-
tentiveness, increased likelihood of repeating a grade, in-
creased 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 class-
room 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, com-
modity 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 un-
dermines 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 con-
sider 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-suffi-
cient, while a similar family in Hardeman County, Ten-
nessee, is self-sufficient with only $21,657: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of the Na-
tional School Lunch Program; and 
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(2) recognizes that America’s pupils deserve ac-
cess to high-quality, safe, nutritious meals available 
in the school setting. 
Æ 
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