Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act of 2021
Bill: S.1834 | Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty (D-WA)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act of 2021
This bill adds requirements regarding the availability of training that the Department of Agriculture provides under current law for local food service personnel in schools.
The training must be scheduled during regular, paid working hours; provided at no cost to food service personnel; offered in-person whenever appropriate; and incorporate experiential learning.
If the training is scheduled outside of working hours, food service personnel must be informed about the necessity of scheduling the program, consulted to schedule the program, and compensated for attending the program. Personnel may not be penalized for failing to attend a program outside of working hours.

To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to clarify the availability 
 and appropriateness of training for local food service personnel, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Improving Training for School Food 
Service Workers Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION OF ALL LOCAL FOOD SERVICE PERSONNEL.

    Section 7(g)(2)(B) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
1776(g)(2)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iv) Availability and appropriateness of 
                        training.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--A training 
                                program carried out under this 
                                subparagraph shall--
                                            ``(aa) be scheduled during 
                                        regular, paid working hours;
                                            ``(bb) be offered in-
                                        person, if appropriate;
                                            ``(cc) incorporate 
                                        experiential learning; and
                                            ``(dd) be provided at no 
                                        cost to food service personnel.
                                    ``(II) Program outside working 
                                hours.--In the event that a training 
                                program carried out under this 
                                subparagraph is scheduled outside of 
                                regular, paid working hours--
                                            ``(aa) efforts shall be 
                                        made to inform food service 
                                        personnel of the necessity of 
                                        the program to be scheduled 
                                        outside of regular, paid 
                                        working hours;
                                            ``(bb) food service 
                                        personnel shall be consulted to 
                                        schedule the program at a time 
                                        that is minimally disruptive to 
                                        the personnel participating in 
                                        the training program;
                                            ``(cc) compensation shall 
                                        be provided to food service 
                                        personnel attending the program 
                                        at the regular rate of pay, 
                                        including any applicable 
                                        overtime rate; and
                                            ``(dd) food service 
                                        personnel shall not be 
                                        penalized or in any other 
                                        manner discriminated against 
                                        for not being able to attend 
                                        the program.
                            ``(v) Relationship to other laws.--Nothing 
                        in this subparagraph supersedes or otherwise 
                        modifies any Federal, State, or local law or 
                        legal obligation governing the relationship 
                        between an employee and employer.''.
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