Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act
Bill: H.R.4344 | Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. (D-FL)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish and implement a plan, including through a five-year program of competitive grants, to promote the use of salad bars in schools participating in the school lunch program.
Priority in the award of grants may be given to entities that (1) serve schools in which at least 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches or that are located in food deserts, or (2) provide nutrition education. Food desert is defined as a census tract with a substantial share of residents who live in low-income areas that have low levels of access to a grocery store or a healthy, affordable food retail outlet.
USDA shall revise the March 27, 2013, policy memorandum SP 31-2013, Salad Bars in the National School Lunch Program, in light of recommendations submitted to Congress under this bill.

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to expand the 
                     use of salad bars in schools.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Salad Bars in Schools Expansion 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In the United States, one-third of all school-aged 
        children are overweight or obese and very few eat the daily 
        amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by national health 
        authorities.
            (2) On average, more than 30 million children participate 
        in the National School Lunch Program daily, with more than 70 
        percent qualifying for free or reduced-price meals based on 
        family household income.
            (3) Improving the healthfulness of school meals, including 
        serving more fruits and vegetables, will improve children's 
        eating habits and their health. The Dietary Guidelines for 
        Americans recommends that children ``make half their plate 
        fruits and vegetables'' at each meal.
            (4) Research indicates that school salad bars are an 
        effective strategy to increase children's consumption of a wide 
        variety of fruits and vegetables.
            (5) Salad bars are one of the easiest ways for school food 
        authorities to meet the new school lunch nutrition standards 
        that require serving a fruit and a vegetable every day, a 
        colorful variety of vegetables every week, and that students 
        select at least one-half cup of a fruit or a vegetable at 
        lunch.
            (6) Salad bars are effective in elementary, middle, and 
        high school, they empower students to try new fruits and 
        vegetables and are a tangible example of a school's commitment 
        to wellness and healthier school meals.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF SALAD BARS.

    Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Expansion of Salad Bars.--
            ``(1) Marketing and communications plan.--Not later than 90 
        days after the date of the enactment of the Salad Bars in 
        Schools Expansion Act, the Secretary shall establish and 
        implement a plan to promote the use of salad bars in schools 
        participating in the school lunch program established under 
        this Act.
            ``(2) Training and technical assistance.--In carrying out 
        the plan described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
        provide training and technical assistance to eligible entities 
        to assist the entities in establishing salad bars in schools. 
        Such training and technical assistance may include--
                    ``(A) webinars;
                    ``(B) training workshops;
                    ``(C) implementation resources;
                    ``(D) nutrition education; and
                    ``(E) strategies for parent engagement and to 
                encourage collaboration with allied organizations and 
                partners.
            ``(3) Grant program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In carrying out the plan 
                described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
                establish a grant program under which the Secretary 
                shall provide grants, on a competitive basis, to 
                eligible entities selected under subparagraph (C).
                    ``(B) Use of funds.--Each eligible entity receiving 
                a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds 
                to award schools a one-time payment equal to the 
                anticipated cost of installing a salad bar, including 
                the purchase of any durable equipment required for a 
                salad bar.
                    ``(C) Application.--
                            ``(i) In general.--To receive a grant under 
                        this subsection, an eligible entity shall 
                        submit to the Secretary an application at such 
                        time, in such manner, and containing such 
                        information as the Secretary may require.
                            ``(ii) Priority.--In selecting grant 
                        recipients, the Secretary may give priority to 
                        eligible entities that--
                                    ``(I) serve schools in which not 
                                less than 50 percent of the students 
                                are eligible for free or reduced price 
                                lunches;
                                    ``(II) serve schools in food 
                                deserts; or
                                    ``(III) provide nutrition education 
                                to students.
                    ``(D) Termination.--The grant program shall 
                terminate 5 years after the date of the enactment of 
                the Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act.
                    ``(E) Evaluation.--Each grantee shall submit to the 
                Secretary an evaluation of the grant program at such 
                time, in such manner, and containing such information 
                as the Secretary may require.
            ``(4) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
        enactment of the Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act, the 
        Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Education 
        and Labor and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
        Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
        and Forestry of the Senate, which includes--
                    ``(A) recommendations, if any, for promoting and 
                establishing more salad bars in schools;
                    ``(B) the number of schools nationwide that have a 
                salad bar program in their school;
                    ``(C) the number of schools that have new salad 
                bars as a result of the plan described in paragraph 
                (1); and
                    ``(D) the evaluations submitted by grantees under 
                paragraph (3)(E).
            ``(5) Revision of guidance on salad bars in the national 
        school lunch program.--Not later than 90 days after submitting 
        the report under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall revise the 
        March 27, 2013, policy memorandum SP 31-2013, `Salad Bars in 
        the National School Lunch Program', in light of any 
        recommendations contained in the report.
            ``(6) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Durable equipment.--The term `durable 
                equipment' means durable food preparation, handling, 
                cooking, serving, and storage equipment greater than 
                $500 in value.
                    ``(B) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' 
                means--
                            ``(i) a school; or
                            ``(ii) a school food authority.
                    ``(C) Food desert.--The term `food desert' means a 
                census tract with a substantial share of residents who 
                live in low-income areas that have low levels of access 
                to a grocery store or a healthy, affordable food retail 
                outlet.''.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON NEW APPROPRIATIONS.

    No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and this Act and such 
amendments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise made available 
for such purposes.
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