Recognizing that Federal law does not prohibit elementary school or secondary school students from discussing or sharing information about non-dairy milk alternatives.

Bill: 118-hconres-80
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Introduced: 2023-11-29
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2023-11-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-11-29
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p> This concurrent resolution resolves that</p> <ul> <li>the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act does not prohibit elementary or secondary school students from discussing or sharing information about non-dairy milk alternatives with their classmates;</li> <li>parents and students should be provided with as much information as possible about school meal nutrition; and </li> <li>parents and students, in consultation with their physicians, should have as much choice as possible in the school lunch program. </li> </ul>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 80 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 29, 2023 Ms. Brownley (for herself, Mr. Carter of Louisiana , and Ms. Velázquez ) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing that Federal law does not prohibit elementary school or secondary school students from discussing or sharing information about non-dairy milk alternatives.

Whereas all children deserve healthy, nutritious meals; Whereas school meals play an essential role in meeting the nutritional needs of children; Whereas some families choose plant-based milk to meet the nutritional needs of children with milk allergies; Whereas cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies reported in infants and young children; Whereas plant-based milks are popular for health, ethical, and environmental reasons, and some individuals prefer the taste of plant-based milk over cow’s milk; Whereas some nutritional aspects of many plant-based milks are similar to cow’s milk, such as sodium and potassium content; Whereas the American Society of Nutrition has found that most plant-based milks are a healthier choice when it comes to fat and calories as compared to whole-fat cow’s milk; Whereas the First Amendment protects the rights of individuals to discuss food and beverage preferences and nutritional information with their peers, teachers, and school officials; and Whereas current Department of Agriculture guidelines suggest that cow’s milk is the best for all students, but this is clearly not the case for many children: Now, therefore, be it

That— (1) it is the sense of Congress that nothing in the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1750 et seq. ) prohibits elementary school or secondary school students from discussing or sharing information about non-dairy milk alternatives with their classmates on the campus of such school; (2) parents and students should be provided with as much information as possible about school meal nutrition; and (3) parents and students, in consultation with their physicians, should be able to have as much choice as possible in the school lunch program, so that the individual dietary needs of children can be better achieved.