The recent Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, also known as the Child Nutrition Bill, was approved by the House and sent to the president last week. The controversial bill is part of first lady Michelle Obama’s ongoing campaign to rally against childhood obesity and end childhood hunger.
The $4.5 billion bill passed the House with a vote of 256-157. It gives the government the power to mandate not only the foods sold in lunchrooms, but in vending machines, as well. And, the government could even have the authority to limit bake sales and fundraisers if they occur on school campuses.
In a statement, the first lady referred to the bill as "a groundbreaking piece of bipartisan legislation that will significantly improve the quality of meals that children receive at school." But, others also well-informed on the matter disagree, noting that the bill not only takes away fundraising opportunities for school programs, but also does not provide the funding necessary for schools to carry out the proposed mandates.
“Despite the good intentions to improve child nutrition, it is disappointing that the U.S. House of Representatives would pass such an important bill without providing adequate funding for local school districts to comply with the new requirements,” Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association said in a statement on the NSBA website.
Opponents of the bill agree with Bryant’s sentiments, claiming that, while good nutrition is welcome, there is only so much money to pay for school lunch menus, and that the new guidelines raise the cost of providing school lunches without providing funding for the schools to implement them.
“This will just add a new burden for schools to pay for another unfunded mandate at a time when there are critical budget shortfalls,” Bryant said. “It is imperative that the Obama administration, once this bill is signed into law, work closely with school district representatives to implement S. 3307 to mitigate the negative consequences for students and schools.”
Additionally, many question the authority granted to the federal government by the bill, allowing limitations to be placed on school bake sales and fundraisers. Some have voiced concern that the act is “overreaching” in its scope. According to the bill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture would oversee regulations of not only school lunch requirements, but of any food sold on school property:
"The nutrition standards shall apply to all foods sold—
‘(i) outside the school meal programs;
‘(ii) on the school campus; and
‘(iii) at any time during the school day."
This would include vending machines, as well as bake sales and other food-focused fundraisers commonly held on school grounds to help raise funds for school activities. It would not, however, include concession stands at school sporting events.
"This could be a real train wreck for school districts," said Lucy Gettman of the National School Boards Association, MSNBC.com reported. "The federal government should not be in the business of regulating this kind of activity at the local level."
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