U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) has introduced bipartisan legislation to increase milk options in America’s schools so that more milk is being consumed by students.
Between 2014-2016, schools served 213 million fewer half pints of milk despite increasing school enrollments, according to Rep. Thompson’s office, which noted that children over age four are not meeting the recommended daily servings of dairy based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Declining milk consumption in schools also negatively affects dairy farm businesses across the United States.
Rep. Thompson on June 5 introduced the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019, H.R. 3125, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and 25 other cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), John Katko (R-NY) and Sean Duffy (R-WI).
“Milk is the No. 1 source of nine essential nutrients in many young Americans’ diets and provides many significant health benefits,” Rep. Thompson said. “I am proud to join with Rep. Courtney in an effort to reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools throughout Pennsylvania and across the country.”
If enacted, H.R. 3125 would reiterate 2017 regulation changes for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) giving schools the option to serve low-fat, 1-percent flavored milk as long as it meets the most-recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“By codifying what USDA is already allowing, it is my hope that we will witness consumption return to their historic levels with kids enjoying nutritious milk at school,” said Rep. Thompson on Wednesday.
H.R. 3125 is supported by the National Milk Producers Federation, the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Farmers Union, and the National Farm Bureau Federation.