Bill · H.R. 739· House(119-HR-739)
Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act
- Introduced
- 1/24/2025
- Last activity
- 1/24/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Sponsored by
- Frederica Wilson
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act aims to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to increase the use of salad bars in schools. The bill directs the Secretary to create a marketing and communications plan to promote salad bars for schools in the National School Lunch Program. It establishes a grant program where the Secretary provides competitive grants to schools or school food authorities to cover the costs of installing salad bars and purchasing durable equipment. To assist in this, the Secretary will provide training and technical assistance through methods like workshops and nutrition education. The Secretary must also submit a report to specific House and Senate committees regarding the program's progress. Finally, the act prohibits the authorization of any new funds, requiring the program to be funded by existing amounts.
Yes· 3 of 6
Would children be better off under this?+5
The bill aims to improve children's health and eating habits by increasing access to fruits and vegetables through school salad bars.
Would students be better off under this?+4
The bill provides students with better access to healthy food options and nutritional education in schools.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+3
The bill prioritizes funding for schools with high numbers of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill requires the program to be funded using existing amounts rather than new appropriations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Student Health: The bill notes that salad bars are an effective strategy to increase the consumption of various fruits and vegetables, which can improve children's eating habits and health (Section 2).
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Financial Assistance for School Nutrition: Through a competitive grant program, schools or school food authorities can receive one-time payments to cover the costs of installing salad bars and purchasing required durable equipment (Section 3, paragraph 3, subparagraph B).
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Support for High-Need Areas: The Secretary may give priority to grant recipients that serve schools where at least 50 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, or schools located in food deserts (Section 3, paragraph 3, subparagraph C, clause ii).
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Resource Provision for Schools: The Secretary is tasked with providing training and technical assistance, which may include webinars, training workshops, implementation resources, and nutrition education (Section 3, paragraph 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Funding Limitations: The bill explicitly states that no additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for this act, meaning it must be carried out using amounts already made available for such purposes (Section 4).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+5Good For Students+4Good For Low Income Households+3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1Improves Racial Equity+1
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending-1
- 2/21/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/24/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Introduced in House
André CarsonDemocrat · Indiana