We’re thrilled to be supporting a values-aligned school meals for all policy concept for the 2025 legislative session. We’re hoping to hear from the folks that will be most impacted by this program: child nutrition professionals, students, and families!
We’d like to hear what is most important to you as we craft this policy!
Please sign up for one of the four (4) listening sessions using the button below – and feel free to share this with anyone else you think might be interested!
Listening sessions will be held virtually.
- Tuesday, May 21, 2:00-3:30 pm
- Thursday, May 23, 2:00-3:30 pm
- Monday, June 3, 8:00-9:30 pm
- Thursday, June 13, 8:00-9:30 pm
Take Action on a new school nutrition waiver bill introduced in the Senate today!
The Support Kids Not Red Tape Act is critical to sustaining school nutrition programs, ensuring children have access to school meals and preventing substantial financial losses for schools nationwide.
We know this is an exceptionally hectic time – which makes it even more important that we raise our voices in support of extending school nutrition program waivers for schools facing acute supply chain disruptions, persistent labor shortages and escalating costs. Currently, waivers will expire June 30th resulting in devastating consequences for these programs and the hungry students that rely on them.
The Support Kids Not Red Tape Act:
- Extends USDA’s waiver authority through September 30, 2023.
- Directs states to submit a transition plan to USDA so that schools will be prepared and supported when transitioning back to normal National School Lunch Program operations after the waivers end.
- Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide technical assistance to states on drafting transition plans and to School Food Authorities on meeting meal standards during the waiver period.
- Prevents schools from being penalized for not meeting meal pattern requirements during the waiver period if the violations are due to supply chain disruptions.
Take action today!
Dear OSNA Members:
URGENT: Action Needed!
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) has submitted comments in response to USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains and Sodium for SY 2022-23 and SY 2023-24.
We urge all members to take action TODAY to ask USDA to ease rules for schools battling supply chain disruptions.
BACKGROUND:
In February, USDA issued a final rule, with a request for comments, on transitional nutrition standards. At the time, USDA indicated it would extend meal pattern waivers for schools unable to meet these rules due to supply chain disruptions. However, last week Congress failed to give USDA authority to extend pandemic child nutrition waivers, and it remains unclear what meal pattern flexibility USDA will be able to offer after June 30.
TAKE ACTION!
Submit your comments in response to the transitional rule through SNA’s Action Network! Comments are due by 11:59 PM on March 24. Consider using the pre-provided, editable text to share your support for SNA’s comments, and add details about the challenges your school meal program or company faces in meeting these standards, as well as concerns about USDA’s plan to propose additional long-term nutrition standards this fall. When you submit your comment to USDA, a second message will be sent to your legislators to emphasize the critical need for their support.
SNA’s comments highlight ongoing supply chain, labor and cost challenges that impact efforts to meet sodium and whole grain rules. SFAs should not face fiscal action for their inability to meet meal pattern requirements due to supply chain disruptions. The letter stresses “the need for realistic and achievable standards moving forward,” highlighting challenges to additional sodium reductions in school meals.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly is holding up the extension of USDA school meal waivers adopted during the pandemic, which, if they expire, could lead to a 40% reduction in school meal reimbursements.
SNA is encouraging members to urge their legislators to grant USDA authority to extend critical school meal waivers. The deadline is Friday, March 11.
CLICK HERE to go to the SNA website Action Alert page and speak up for school waivers!
OSNA Members,
Now, when one in every six children suffer from hunger in the United States, millions of American school children could lose access to meals served through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) if some Members of Congress get their way.
This is why SNA has launched the Stop the Block Coalition and website (stopblockgrantsnow.org). The Coalition, comprised of a network of allied organizations across the nation, will advocate against Block Grants for school nutrition programs and urge Congress to live up to its commitment to American children at risk of hunger. SNA is currently working to enlist coalition members.
Individuals are encouraged to join the fight by sending a letter to their legislators, sharing the #StoptheBlock FAQs and infographic on social media, and continuing local education efforts on the detrimental nature of block granting school nutrition programs.
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) and the American Commodity Distribution Association (ACDA) have joined forces to support The Healthy Breakfast Helps Kids Learn Act of 2017 (HR 3738). This bill would provide an additional 6 cents in commodity support for the School Breakfast Program (SBP). This means that if the bill were to pass, schools would receive 6 cents for each breakfast served to spend on commodities. As of this time, there is no commodity support for breakfast, only lunch.
Oregon’s very own Chris Facha is the national president of ACDA and has played a huge part in this collaborative support of the bill sponsored by representatives McGovern ( D-MA) and Davis (R-IL).
Get the scoop by downloading these information sheets:
OSNA Legislative News on HR 3738
Sept. 12 SNA Press Release: Reps. McGovern & Davis Introduce “Healthy Breakfasts Help Kids Learn Act
Oregon State Representative Brian Clem and others have provided a letter of support for passage of House Bill 2721 to the State Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee. If passed, HB 2721 would amend and expand Oregon’s current Farm to School and School Gardens program from $1.3 million per biennium serving 19 school districts to $5.6 million ensuring that all 190 school districts in the state may participate.
Click here to download and read a PDF copy of the letter.
The Oregon State Legislature is currently considering House Bill 2721 which would expand farm to school and school garden programs by increasing funding for school districts to purchase Oregon-grown and processed products and to provide agriculture, food and garden-based education, and by making that funding available to all districts in the state.
In 2011 the legislature created a pilot program, and in 2013 expanded the successful program to $1.2 million in grants to school districts. HB 2721, which is being considered by the legislature now, makes some revisions to and expands the current farm to school and school garden grants, so they it would be available to all districts in the state.
HB 2721 is now in the Ways and Means committee, which makes budget decisions. We are asking for your active support by sending a brief email to the members of the committee in support of this bill.
Please click here to send a message to the members of the Ways and Means Committee asking for their support. Feel free to customize your letter with information about what farm to school and school garden programs mean to you, or just send the sample as written — either option is great.
With your help, we can expand this successful program and reach more kids and more producers. Thanks in advance for taking action!
We are looking for school nutrition directors to present information on the Farm to School and School Gardens funding bill (HB 2721) at several Oregon Legislature Ways and Means Committee on-the-road hearings.
If you (or someone in your district) can attend on of these meetings in your area, please let us know as soon as possible.
HEARING SITES & TIMES
Tuesday, April 14 – Lincoln City, 6:30 – 8 p.m. – Lincoln City Cultural Center
Thursday, April 16 – Gresham, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. – Mt. Hood Community College
Tuesday, April 21 – Portland (PCC Rock Creek), 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. – Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus
Thursday, April 23 – Springfield, 6:30 – 8 p.m. – (site to be determined)
Friday, April 24 – Klamath Falls, 5:30 – 7 p.m. – Oregon Institute of Technology
Saturday, April 25 – Grants Pass, 12:30 – 2 p.m. – Performing Arts Center Lecture Hall at Grants Pass High School
Access our e-promo with all the details and downloads, or contact Megan Kemple at mkemple@lanefood.org for more information.
Click here [petition is close] to encourage your Member of Congress to provide the necessary flexibility school nutrition operators need to provide healthy, tasty meals to America’s students while maintaining a financially viable program.
