WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration, welcomed the Senate passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, legislation he cosponsored that will allow schools to provide more dairy options and non-dairy alternatives for school lunches.
Currently, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must provide milk that is consistent with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which means that schools can only provide fat-free or low-fat milk. Heinrich’s Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act will alter that restriction and allow schools to offer whole milk, reduced-fat milk, and non-dairy beverages, in addition to fat-free and low-fat milk.
The bill now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I’m proud that the Senate passed legislation I cosponsored to ensure schools can offer a wider range of dairy options, including non-dairy alternatives, so every student in New Mexico can access meals that work for their needs. This bipartisan bill is a meaningful step forward, making it easier for families to request alternatives for children who are lactose intolerant, while continuing to support our state’s dairy producers and agricultural workers,” said Heinrich. “I encourage the House to take up and pass this bill quickly so New Mexico students and schools can benefit from these improvements.”
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is led by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators David McCormick (R-Pa.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Angus King (I-Maine), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).
The text of the bill is here.
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