What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Provides for the sale, availability and distribution of healthy foods and beverages as part of a school lunch program
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Teresa Sayward
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to providing for the sale, availability and distribution of healthy foods and beverages for school lunch programs
Purpose or general idea of bill
The goal is to encourage healthy lifelong eating habits by providing foods high in nutrients, low in fat and added sugars, and of moderate portion size. Schools that choose to adopt the established guidelines will receive an additional ten cent reimbursement per meal served from New York State.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends the Education Law by adding a new Section 915-a prohibiting the sale of certain foods and beverages during the school day. School districts and private schools who receive any form of state funding, boards of cooperative educational services, county vocational education and extension boards and charter schools, shall permit, at schools under its jurisdiction, the sale of the following beverages to students as part of a school lunch program:
Read the full memo (747 words)
Juices with at least fifty percent fruit juices or fruit in no more than twelve ounce containers or vegetable-based drinks in not more than twelve ounce containers.
Beverages that contain only water and fruit or vegetable juice and have no added sugars.
Drinking water or seltzer water, which may be flavored but does not contain caffeine, in any size container.
One percent fat milk and nonfat milk, that may be flavored but contain no more than thirty-two grams of sugar per eight ounce serving, in not more than sixteen ounce containers.
Non dairy milk, such as soy or rice milk, which may be flavored but contain no more than thirty-two grams total sugar per eight ounce serving, shall be calcium and vitamin fortified, and not in more than sixteen ounce containers.
Package sizes for grains shall not exceed 1.25 ounces for chips, crackers, popcorn, one ounce for cookies, two ounces for bakery items including, but not limited to, pastries, muffins and bagels; package sizes for dairy and nondairy items shall not exceed eight ounces for yogurt; four ounces for ice cream and two ounces for cheese; package sizes for nuts and seeds shall not exceed 1.25 ounces for trail mix, nuts and seeds; there shall be no maximum package size established for fruits and vegetables.
Each package of food shall not have more than thirty percent of its total calories from fat.
Each package shall not have more than ten percent of its total calories from saturated fat.
Each package shall not have more than fifteen grams of sugar.
Each package of grains, fruits and vegetables shall contain not more than thirty grams of total carbohydrates (including natural and added sugar); each package of dairy and non-dairy shall contain not more than four grams per ounce of total carbohydrate including natural sugar and natural milk sugar.
Whole grains shall be at least fifty percent of the total bread equivalent.
Portion size shall be equivalent to federal standards.
Food items and beverages not prepackaged with nutritional information by the distributor shall be required to have nutritional information including calories, percentage of calories from fat, percentage of calories from saturated fat, cholesterol, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C and any such other information as required to be included on the food nutrition label by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services available to the customer, either on a display case, in a binder or within information packets held by food service staff for request by the customer.
Where possible, two fruits and two non-fried vegetable choices shall be given at each luncheon meal; five different fruits and five different vegetable each week.
Provisions of this section shall apply to the sale of all foods and beverages sold as part of the national school lunch program and school lunch programs, that is reimbursable under such programs; if such school participates in the guidelines provided by this section, an additional ten cent per lunch reimbursement from the state shall be granted.
Justification
The program would promote healthy eating habits along with providing an additional 10 cents reimbursement per meal served.
Removing food choices that have proven negative consequences is a step in the right direction in preventing childhood obesity.
Prior legislative history
03/02/07 S.3322 Education; A.6103 Education 01/09/08 S.3302 Education; A.6103 Education
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of September 2009.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.